Environment

How to make your kitchen eco-friendly

We’re all looking for ways to green up our homes nowadays. Here we explain a few simple eco-swaps that you can make for a more environmentally friendly kitchen.

Eco swaps to green up your kitchen

Use food wraps for leftovers

We love to make the most of leftovers, but wrapping up excess food can often be at odds with protecting the environment. Cling film can be a go-to when it comes to saving your sandwiches, but it is in fact very difficult to recycle.

Cling film generally heads straight to landfill. Not only that, it’s been known to end up in the ocean as well, having a devastating impact on wildlife.

One simple swap that you can make is to trade your cling film for a beeswax wrap. These can last for up to a year, and even naturally biodegrade so you can put them in your compost bin when they’ve worn out.

Trying to avoid using animal products? The Beeswax Wrap Company also produces a plant-based product to help you keep your food fresh for longer too.

Opt for loose leaf tea

You might not often think about it, but your cuppa can have a big impact on the environment. Researchers from the McGill University in Canada found that steeping a single plastic tea bag for five minutes releases approximately 11.6 billion microplastics into your cup.

These plastics are hiding in a number of places. The rise in nylon mesh luxury teabags is partly to blame, but another place to look is the sealant that prevents many teabags from falling apart. This plastic isn’t recyclable or biodegradable, but releases microplastics when put in hot water.

One way to avoid this is to opt for loose leaf tea instead. Check out some of Liz’s favourite homemade tea blends for delicious and healthy inspiration.

Make your own cleaning products

The cleaning products that we choose can have a big impact on the environment. Many products often contain a plethora of indecipherable ingredients, some of which can be irritants or even contribute to antibiotic resistance.

One easy eco swap to make your kitchen more environmentally friendly is to make your own cleaning products. This way, you’ll know exactly what the ingredients are and you can even add your own favourite essential oils to fill your home with a gorgeous aroma.

We share some of the easy ways you can make your own cleaning products here. From a multi-purpose spray to a carpet deodorising powder, it couldn’t be easier to make cleaning your home more environmentally friendly.

Cook from scratch

It’s easy to rely on ready meals and foods from packets when you’re short on time, but these foods are often heavily processed. These foods have a larger carbon footprint than raw alternatives, even before you factor in any packaging and transport emissions.

Cooking from scratch with locally sourced, seasonal food is an excellent way to cut your carbon footprint. Not only that, you’ll know exactly what you’re eating.

We’ve got a huge range of delicious recipes on Liz Earle Wellbeing to help you create more wholesome dishes at home that keep you and the planet healthy. Plus, read our feature to discover how to make your food shop more sustainable.

Ditch single-use paper towels

Paper towels are super convenient when it comes to cleaning up any spills and drying dishes, but they’re not the most environmentally friendly option. Not only do trees get cut down in the creation of them, bleaches are often used to make the paper that brilliant white to which we’ve become so accustomed.

Make a swap to cloth towels instead – you can even make your own. Cutting up old bathroom towels is an easy way to breathe new life into your belongings.

If buying new, try to opt for sustainable fabrics. Hemp or linen are excellent materials for the kitchen – even better if you can pick some up from a second-hand store.