When it comes to plastics, most of us are aware that there’s a global problem. Awareness may be the first step, but the problem can feel overwhelming, making it hard to take action. Messaging we see around the zero-waste movement can also feel unattainable and keep us stuck in the status quo. But here’s the thing: small changes go a long way, and shifting your mindset to reducing plastics instead of eliminating them can be incredibly helpful. Here are three easy steps you can take today to reduce your plastic use in the kitchen.

Why Care About Plastics?

Overuse of plastics is causing some serious global harm. While many of us consider recycling to be one solution for plastics, here’s a sobering statistic for you: 91% of plastic doesn’t get recycled. That tells us that one of the most important ways forward is to work towards decreasing our plastic consumption.

Now, don’t get us wrong; plastic is an essential material. But we have a boom in the production and consumption of single-use or disposable plastics – it’s these plastics that consumers can work towards reducing in their daily lives.

Unfortunately, all of this single-use, disposable plastic is taking a toll on birds, marine animals and fish, worldwide. It’s also impacting human health, as microplastics are making their way into our food and water supplies.

How To Take Action

The first step to reduce your plastic use is to look around your kitchen and take note of where most of your plastic comes from. You might find plastic everywhere, which is normal in most households. Try not to be paralyzed by guilt – rather, use the awareness to take action.

Many people think that to decrease their plastic use, they need to immediately throw away all the plastics they currently have. If you think about it, though, how does this help? You’re just adding more plastic to the plastic problem. If you have plastic products that are currently in usable condition, then keep using them! The idea here is that when you need to replace something, you choose a more sustainable option.

Reducing your plastics doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a process. Here are three easy steps you can start with:

1.   Skip The Plastic Bags

This one might seem obvious, but we’ve still got a long way to go when it comes to plastic grocery bags. The biggest barrier for most people – forgetting their reusable bags. So, how to make bringing your reusable bags a habit? Start by storing several of them in the places you need them most, like your car and your handbag.

Produce bags are another big one. There are many options for reusable produce bags, including the plastic bags you’ve probably already got shoved into a drawer somewhere. Instead of sending these plastic bags to the landfill, why not bring them with you to the store and avoid using any more plastic bags?

Alternatively, you can purchase reusable mesh produce bags or make your own out of old t-shirts!

2.   Find Alternatives for Plastic Wrap

Plastic wrap was designed as a kitchen convenience, but how necessary is it, really? Next time you run out of plastic wrap, consider some alternatives. Here are some options:

• Put your food in a container. Many things we like to plastic wrap (like half a bell pepper) could also just be popped into a storage container.
• Cover your bowl or plate with a plate. A small plate often fits perfectly over a bowl, and an upside-down plate fits perfectly over another plate.
• Invest in a beeswax wrap. This is a reusable, versatile food cover than can completely replace plastic wrap in your kitchen.

3. De-Plastic Your Dishes

We buy dish soap in plastic bottles and then wash our dishes with plastic-based sponges. You can make several swaps for these products, but you can also make your products last longer to reduce your overall plastic consumption.

Start by diluting your dish soap. Dish soap is highly concentrated, as you’ve probably noticed if you’ve ever added water to the end of your bottle because you keep forgetting to go buy more (it still cleans perfectly well!). Instead of waiting to the end to dilute your soap, do it from the start!

Next time you run out of dish soap, save the plastic container. Add water and dish soap in a 1:1 ratio to both containers when you buy your new soap. With this one simple change, you’ve just halved your plastic consumption from dish soap containers.

When it comes to sponges, sometimes you really do need a sponge to scrub. But the majority of your dishes probably don’t need scrubbing. Keep one sponge for when you actually need it (making it last way longer), but do most of your dishes with rags that you can make yourself from old clothing or fabric. Keep a dirty rag bin under the sink and wash them on a hot water cycle every week to keep them germ-free.

If you’re looking to decrease your plastic consumption even more, consider these ideas:

• Dish soap bars: That’s right, bars! Just like regular soap bars, they get sudsy when you run them under water.
• Refillable dish soap: If you’ve got a container, find a local zero-waste shop and refill your dish soap.
• Swap to an all-natural sponge: There are many options for more sustainable sponges – everything from peach pits, walnuts, natural fibers and wood. Zero-waste shops usually have several options.

Takeaway

There are so many ways to decrease your plastics in the kitchen, but knowing how and where to start can be overwhelming. In this article, you’ve learned three steps that you can take today to reduce your plastic consumption. Remember, it’s not all-or-nothing – every small step you take to use fewer plastics is a step in the right direction.