By Angela Cruz

Plastic has infiltrated our lives. Looking around any room in a home, you’ll likely see a large number of plastic items. It’s possible the most single-use plastics you own are in your kitchen. And it makes sense! Plastic is highly durable and, in many cases, makes life more convenient, especially when packaging food products. But plastic’s durability has also made it a problem. To date, it’s estimated that we’ve produced 8.3 billion tons of plastic in the last 60-70 years. Approximately 6.3 billion tons of it has been disposed of, 79% of which is in landfills. In 2015, plastic accounted for 19% of waste in landfills, second only to food. Freaky, right? Luckily, everyone can help by making changes in their daily lives!

Beginning to reduce your consumption of single-use plastics can be intimidating when it surrounds you and is omnipresent in your day to day life. But fear not! Here, I provide some tips for reducing your plastic use in one of the most wasteful rooms of your house: the kitchen.

While shopping

1. 

   Take your own bags (even for produce): The United States uses 100 billion plastic bags per year. The environmental benefits of using paper grocery bags instead of plastic are unknown, so it’s definitely recommended to take your own bag. But why stop there? Plastic produce bags have only been in grocery stores since the 1970s so they’re not an essential item. Consider replacing the pesky plastic produce bags with cloth or mesh bags! Both are typically machine washable and make it easier to leave the grocery store plastic free.

2. Shop in the bulk section: The Marine Conservation Society did a large beach cleanup in 2017. The report shows the second most frequently found type of garbage was plastic film from food items. A lot of snacks traditionally packaged in plastic film are available in bulk sections of grocery stores now. This is in addition to staple food items like grains, beans and oatmeal. Shopping in the bulk section with your own reusable container can both help prevent hundreds of tons of packaging from going to the landfill and can also save you money! Who doesn’t like saving money?
3. Buy Bigger: If you are buying something packaged, such as oils or condiments, it’s better to buy bigger. Buying one container with double the volume of product uses less packaging than multiple smaller containers equaling the same volume.

While storing

1. Plastic free food storage: Most people store leftovers in reusable containers. But there’s a lot of miscommunication about how produce should be stored before it’s cooked. Many people put fruits and vegetables in plastic airtight bags, but produce needs to breathe. Due to improper storage, the average U.S. household throws out 25% of the food they purchase. To tackle both plastic and food waste, consider nixing the plastic baggies in your fridge. Here’s a handy guide that offers plastic free options for storage and also helps you keep your food longer!
2. Ditch the cling wrap: Cling or shrink wrap is a super convenient item and many people use it while keeping leftover food. However, it’s recyclability varies and, at least in Seattle, it has to be recycled in a very specific way. Another option is aluminum foil, but before recycling foil, ensure that it is clean, dry and not crumpled up into a ball. Beeswax wrap is a great zero waste alternative. Beeswax wraps are cloth covered in beeswax. This makes them moldable and they function like cling wrap.

While cleaning

1. Use cloth towels: This is related to plastic film again, because it’s everywhere! Plastic film is typically wrapped around paper towels, so it’s easy to forget about. But it’s also easy to avoid. By using cloth towels, you can save money, reduce the amount of waste produced from paper towels, and you don’t have to worry about the sneaky #4 plastic byproduct! If you do continue to use paper towels, here’s a website that lets you know where you can take your plastic film to be recycled.
2. Buy concentrated or bulk cleaning supplies: Cleaning supplies are usually packaged in plastic containers. When buying dishwasher detergent, opt for cardboard if it’s available. When buying dish soap or surface cleaner, consider buying concentrated or the largest container you can find. Like food, it’s better to buy big. If you’re really ambitious, consider making your own and ditch the packaging altogether!

If you want to reduce your single-use plastics and you’re unsure of where to start, that’s understandable! Start small and with things that seem easy. Something I found very useful during Plastic Free July was to keep a bag filled with all the plastic I used during the month. At the end of #NoPlasticNovember, go through your own bag and see what items are the easiest to cut out. Best of luck in your plastic free endeavors and happy cooking!