5 Things I Don’t Buy Anymore Thanks To Eco-Conscious Living: Kitchen Edition
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One of the best parts of becoming more eco-conscious is realizing all the things you no longer need, and all the ways you can save money! I am rounding up all the different things I have stopped buying over the last few years — starting today with my kitchen edition. I think the kitchen is the perfect place to start making some switches because we collectively spend so much time there and can generate quite a lot of waste.
Living with a little more intention day to day, I have been able to make lasting changes in my home. Remember, it’s all about taking it one step at a time. Don’t feel like you have to make every swap overnight! If this piques your interest, just keep reading — here are the first five fun and easy things I eliminated in my home!
1. Paper towel
That’s right! It’s been over a year now since we kicked the paper towels out of our home for good. Once soiled (unless with organic material only), paper towels can’t be composted and must be thrown in the garbage — so what should we use instead? Swedish cloths! They absorb 15x their weight and can be composted at the end of their life. They last 6-9 months and cost only $7! We use them to wipe surfaces, to clean and more! Purchase my favourite one from by clicking here (and use code “THEPURPOSEFULYOU” at checkout for 15% off!). We also love these large ones to use as drying towels for mugs or larger surfaces, click here (use code purposeful15 for 15% off).
TIP: If you’re trying to lessen your paper towel consumption, hide it from yourself or put it somewhere inconvenient to reach. It makes you realize how often you may be mindlessly using it.
2. Disposable baking cups
If you love to bake muffins, cupcakes and other treats, you will be thrilled to see these reusable silicone baking cups. We haven’t bought liners for years and use these reusable ones instead. They’re easy to use and they are oven, microwave and dishwasher safe! Why not make a one-time, affordable purchase that you can use forever!
3. Ziploc bags
If you have some, use them up and keep washing them! If you’re thinking about buying some, hold up! Check out my fav silicone snack bags that are the perfect replacement in your home. We use them A LOT and know they will last a long time. They are also dishwasher, microwave and freezer safe. We freeze food in them, use them on the go as snack packs and even bring them when travelling to keep something waterproof. They are so worth it! Purchase by clicking here.
4. Plastic/cling wrap
We’ve all used it — most of us grew up using it! There’s no shame in that, but now we know better. Single use plastics are so harmful to our oceans, animals and the health of our planet. That’s why we switched to using beeswax wraps in our home and have slowly added to our collection. The prints are so fun, the wraps are simple to use (give it a few tries to get the hang of it) and we wash and reuse them over and over again. Beeswax wraps last up to a year and can be composted afterwards. Again, a closed loop system is always our goal. We love Nature Bees — click here to shop (check out the cute prints!).
5. Tin foil
Yes, I said it. It’s been wonderful to not have to buy tin foil! Instead I use another pan over the item that needs covering in the oven, or a silicone mat when I need a great heat resistant, non-stick baking surface. For the grill, we have a reusable metal grate to roast veggies in! Click here to see the silicone baking mat we use.
What I hope you take away from this is that there are ways to live more sustainably and save money at the same time. There are sometimes upfront costs as you slowly build up products and tools to help with waste, but it’s ultimately so much more economical in the long run. Check back soon to find part 2 of this series on the blog — there are many things I don’t buy anymore thanks to eco-conscious living, and I’m always happy to share!
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