Disposable products are one of the most wasteful and expensive products in your kitchen. Over years they can easily rack up a cost more than your appliances if you use enough of them. In addition, they also create a huge amount of kitchen waste. When you use disposable products in your kitchen, you are quite literally throwing away money that you worked hard to earn.
Luckily, disposable kitchen products are not hard to replace. As more people desire to live more frugal and greener lives, the amount of reusable kitchen products available increases. This makes finding easy reusable swaps for your kitchen, far easier than it has been in years past.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Reusable Kitchen Products That Save You Money & The Environment
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1. Reusable Paper Towels
Reusable or “unpaper” towels are a great way to replace disposable paper towels. You can find them as single sheet towels or you can even find reusable paper towels that have snaps and are kept rolled up like a disposable roll. Typically you will find that one “roll” of reusable paper towels will last you at least a year if you take care of them properly whereas a roll of disposable ones will last a week if you’re lucky.
2. Reusable Mopping Pads
The Swiffer mop changed how people mopped the kitchen floor but it also created a very expensive and wasteful product. However, this cost and waste can be minimized by using reusable mopping pads. These pads are used the same as their disposable counterpart, but instead of being thrown away when they’re dirty, they’re tossed in the washer!
To save even more money, this spray mop has a refillable bottle and 3 extra reusable cleaning pads included.
3. Ditch Disposable Sponges
Disposable sponges are not able to be used for long before they start to wear out and tear. In addition, unless you regularly make a habit of sanitizing them, they can get fairly funky and filled with bacteria pretty quickly.
Replacing them with a reusable option is so easy that it just makes sense. You only need to pick up a few dishrags. If you normally use sponges with scrubbers on them, you can also buy dishcloths with a scrubby side. They work just as well but last far longer. Plus, cloths can be thrown in the washer to easily clean and refresh them.
4. Reusable Coffee Filters
Coffee filters and K-cups create a crazy amount of waste and like other disposable products are very expensive; K-cups especially. Reusable products to replace them with are not hard to find.
If you have a regular coffee pot, you can find reusable coffee filter baskets. For single cup coffeemakers, reusable K-cups are a great option.
5. Replace Plastic Wrap
If you’ve ever fought with a roll of plastic wrap, you will probably welcome a reusable option. Luckily, beeswax wraps are a thing. These wraps go over the top of your food storage bowls to keep air and dust out of them. But since they are coated in beeswax, they are both washable and reusable.
6. Reusable Food Storage Bags
Freezer bags and such as almost a must have in any kitchen today, but they do not have to be disposable ones. In fact, you can use reusable food storage bags to use instead. They come in all sizes from snack size up as well so you are able to replace every disposable storage bag you use with a replaceable option.
7. Food Storage Containers
If you are still using food storage containers that are meant for one use, upgrading to glass food storage bowls is a far better reusable option. Not only are they cheaper in the long run, but they will last far longer than those single use reusable options. Glass doesn’t absorb the colour of its contents or warp in the microwave either.
8. Reusable Hand Towels
If you frequently wash your hands at the kitchen sink, you may be using paper towels to dry them. Instead, grab a few kitchen or flour sack towels instead. In doing so, you will still have dry hands but won’t be wasting a paper towel to dry them. Plus, since kitchen towels come in many, many designs, you can match them to your kitchen decor!
9. Reusable Spice Bottles
Buying spices in bulk is often the most cost effective way to purchase them but storage can be an issue. Smaller plastic bottles of spaces are disposable once the spice is used up. Instead, buy reusable spice bottles and refill them with your bulk spices. You’ll find that you always have the seasonings you need while reducing the amount of disposable use in your kitchen.
Making reusable swaps in your kitchen is not only incredibly smart to do but can save you time, money and frustration along the way. Since you would be reducing the number of products in your kitchen, they can help you downsize and organize your kitchen. Because you’re not spending money every time you run out of something, you save money. And because you’re not throwing things out daily, you reduce the amount of waste your family puts out daily.