Earth conscious changes to make in your Kitchen.

If you didn’t already know I LOVE THIS PLANET! You can read my past Earth day posts here and here.

My mom raised me with good eco practices and so making these changes in my home came naturally/ I was already doing most of them, but, I know if you’re new to this eco-friendly world it can seem quite overwhelming. So, here are a few good ideas to start with.

Ditch the paper towels!

Now I know this is a staple for most people but they create so much waste. In the U.S. they currently use more than 13 billion pounds of paper towels each year and that number is growing steadily. This equals more than 3,000 tons of paper towel waste in the U.S. alone! As an alternative, you can cut up old t-shirts into rags to wipe up messes and spills and just toss them in the wash after. And if you want a cuter option there are some amazing “unpaper towel” options on Etsy. I love these ones.

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Stop using plastic wrap.

I’m still working on this one but aside from the occasional plate of leftovers, I’m almost there. In fact, I just ran out of plastic wrap so I have a goal to replace it with a better option now. It’s another huge creator of waste that take years to disappear. When you have leftover food take the time to scrape the leftovers into a reusable container to store in the fridge ( I love these glass ones!) or if you prefer to just cover the current pot it is in, a better option is to use beeswax paper. They are moldable and washable so they can wrap around any container but still be used again and again. Another adorable option I found on Etsy was these cloth dish covers.

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Use cloth grocery bags when you shop.

Where I live most stores are kind of forcing you to convert to this option by not offering plastic bags at all. I love cloth bags, (I just have a hard time remembering to put them back in the car before I leave) but they can hold so much more than plastic bags and keep your groceries safe from being all squished up. These thick-lined ones from amazon are amazing!

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Switch your dish scrubbers to biodegradable wood options.

These wood scrubbers are made from bamboo wood – a renewable resource and the bristles are made from sisal and coconut fibers so when they have scrubbed all the pots they can their materials will biodegrade and not harm the earth. Not to mention they just look beautiful to put on your counter!

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Buy soap in bulk and use a refillable container.

Again another plastic waste culprit. These amber jar dispensers will look much cuter on your counter. And in regards to soap, switching to a non-toxic kind will do wonders for your health and the planet. If you prefer bar soap there are so many local companies selling beautiful and non-toxic soaps. I love these on Etsy. For bulk liquid soap, Dr. Bronner’s Castile soap is a great option – it’s available at most groceries too. By eliminating the act of constantly buying small plastic soap dispensers and instead just buying one large bottle a few times a year you reduce so much waste. There are also many stores that offer refill options so you eliminate the waste altogether. If you are local to Edmonton, Rocky Mountain Soap Company, Koyla Naturals, and Earth’s General Store are just a few places that offer this. Google refillable soap stations in your area to find what is available near you. Every little bit of plastic reduced makes a world of difference!