6 Steps to Jump-Start Your Plastic-Free Kitchen
I’ve recently discovered the Home Edit through their new show on Netflix. And omg…I cannot get enough. What is it about organization that makes us feel so happy?
So, in an effort to help you get to an organized plastic-free kitchen, here is a quick step-by-step plan to get you started.
1. Take Stock & Eliminate
The first step in any major task is to see what you’re working with. Open up all your kitchen cabinets and assess the situation.
Next, get rid of anything that’s expired, rotten, or you know there’s no way you’ll ever use. Now, most of the time, I suggest people use things up before tossing them. But, there are some items you try on a whim and will literally sit there for years. If you read about the benefits of Kimchi, bought a jar, ate a piece and started gagging…get rid of the Kimchi. It’s taking up valuable real estate.
After eliminating those items, see what plastic items are remaining and think about if they have a glass or bulk alternative. For example, most oils and nut butters can be found in glass. Most dried items like flour, nuts, and dried fruits can be found in bulk sections. And of course, nearly all produce can be found loose at the farmer’s market.
Make a list of the first few plastic items you’d like to tackle.
2. Figure Out Zones
Okay, now that you’ve done a little purge. Figure out your zones. If you drink coffee, maybe you have a zone for your coffee, teas, mugs and other coffee-related accessories.
Here is my coffee and tea area:
And this is inside the top right cabinet:
It makes sense to group items into a zone, so you can find them. You also want to keep zones close to where you use it. Our coffee zone is on the back counter where we keep out electric kettle. Our spice drawer is next to the stove.
3. Save Jars & Contain
Out of sight, out of mind. How often do you forget about the kale in the back of the fridge? Or the Chia seeds in the back of the pantry? One of the things I love about storing everything in glass jars is that I can see it!
For many years, I used to use jarred marina sauce. And for many years, I saved the glass jars. Now, I have a huge set of matching glass jars.
If you’d rather get a bunch of jars at once, I love the wide mouth mason jars–both the 32 ounce jars and the 16 ounce jars.
I also love the 16 ounce jars because they double as drinking glasses!
To store larger items like flour or cereal, I use these 1-gallon jars from Anchor Hocking. I’ve also found them at Target.
4. Explore Plastic-Free Ways to Buy Food
Alright, you have all your containers set and you have a list of the plastic items you’d like to tackle. Next, let’s look for some plastic-free ways to buy food. Normally, during non-COVID times, many grocery stores have a bulk section where you can get loose items like flour, nuts, dried fruits, candy, and etc. But given the heighten concern with germs, many of those options are not available.
So, now I buy my bulk items online. I use the Wally Shop.
The Wally Shop sends you bulk items in reusable containers and totes. Once you receive your package, you dump out all the product, turn around the shipping label (the return label is printed on the opposite side) and either arrange for a pick up or drop it off at a UPS store! It’s super easy and zero waste!
I talk more about my experience in this post:
Another option is Loop, which is the same concept with reusable containers and totes but they also include household products like laundry detergent and toiletries.
There are several other options and you might see if there’s a local shop that packages in paper. Here’s a comprehensive list of zero waste stores from Zero Waste California.
Of course, my favorite way to buy food plastic-free is to head to my local farmer’s market! Not only is everything loose, but I love supporting my local farmers. There may be a few new rules in place but in general, I’ve still been able to walk away from my farmer’s market without any plastic! I talk more about shopping at the farmer’s market during COVID in this post:
5. Create a Meal Plan
Now that you have an idea of what ingredients you have to work with, it’s time to make a meal plan. A meal plan sounds daunting, but it’s just laying out what you’re going to make for dinner on different days.
If you want to create a full meal plan for the whole week, awesome! If you want to take baby steps and just do a day or two, awesome! Go at a sustainable pace. Here’s an example of what I cook in a week:
Look up some recipes. Think about what foods you love. Or think about what things you’ve always wanted to try to make from scratch! I used to buy tortillas each week until I started getting serious about plastic-free living. Now, I make my own tortillas each week and omg…they are so delicious when fresh off the pan!
You can find the recipe in Plastic-Free Tortillas.
6. Cook & Refine
After shopping for and cooking the first meal plan, think about what worked and didn’t work. What would you make again and what do you need to adjust? Just like adjusting a recipe, you’ll need to adjust your kitchen and the ingredients you bring into it.
The more you live and cook in your kitchen, the more you’ll learn what works for your plastic-free journey.
If you weren’t able to find plastic-free options, don’t worry. Keep your eyes peeled for other packaging options or consider substituting the ingredient with one you can find plastic-free. Plastic-free living is a marathon, not a sprint. There’s always some learning and always something that can be improved. Embrace the challenge and keep going!
What do you think? Can you follow these steps to jump start your plastic-free kitchen? What are some kitchen hacks you’d recommend? Tell me in the comments!
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