Discover simple kitchen swaps that can help you save money and reduce your environmental impact. From frying pans to everyday items, make sustainable choices without breaking the bank.
When it comes to living more sustainably, the kitchen is a great place to start. It’s the heart of the home—and often a hotspot for waste, energy use and overconsumption. But creating a more eco-friendly kitchen doesn’t have to mean overhauling your entire space or investing in pricey appliances. In fact, small changes can lead to big results.
It’s not just big appliances in your kitchen that you can swap out for more sustainable options. There are plenty of environmental and financial savings to be made with everyday items, too.
Swap 1: Non-stick pans for cast-iron pans
I get it: the ability to cook without leaving half of your meal in the pan is great, but you need to weigh up the health and environmental risks of using non-stick pans.
Per- and poly-fluorinated compounds (PFAS) are the group of chemicals that make things non-stick, and they’re nicknamed the “forever chemicals” because they take so long to break down. The US Food and Drug Administration has also classified them as possible carcinogens. The most notable in this group is Teflon, which is the name for the non-stick chemical polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and its use in household cookware has been associated with an array of health problems, including increased blood cholesterol levels, liver enzyme changes and Teflon fever, caused by excessive exposure.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also warned that exposure to PFAS, even in small amounts, is harmful to the environment. Non-stick pans not only present a host of problems for our health, but, once they’re damaged, they release thousands of soft plastic particles into the environment.
Grabbing cheap, non-stick pans from a budget-friendly retailer might be cost effective in the moment, but the expense soon adds up once you’ve had to replace (and dispose of) them multiple times. Instead, invest in good-quality, durable cookware, like cast iron. Raw cast-iron pots can be quite affordable, sometimes less than $100, while enamel-coated ones are easier to maintain but can be more expensive. Both can last a lifetime.
Some of my favourite secondhand cast-iron pans are ones I have picked up from Facebook Marketplace. This is one of many examples where living more sustainably means investing a little more up front to save money—and the planet—in the long run.
Tip
If you do choose to use non-stick pans, cook at low temperatures only and use soft silicone or bamboo utensils to avoid scratching the surface.
Swap 2: Baking paper for reusable baking mats
Despite the name, baking paper is not actually recyclable because of its waxy coating, which is made from paraffins. Paraffins are derived from fossil fuels (read chemicals), which have been proven to cause respiratory infections. Switching to reusable silicone baking mats is simple. Buy them once (they fit perfectly on standard baking trays), then just wash and reuse. Plus, they are non-stick, which makes them ideal for those wanting to cook with less fat.
Cost: $14.95 per mat or $0.08 per use if you’re using the mats three times a week
Swap 3: Reusable bags for silicone food pouches
Resealable bags are flimsy and thin, and made from notorious “soft” plastics, and I can’t be the only one who finds it difficult to seal them shut?! Enter, silicone food pouches. Not only are these bags super thick and sturdy, the seal is 100 per cent leakproof, so you can store curries and soups without worrying about making a mess in the fridge or freezer.
Cost: $0.35 each vs. $10 for a pouch you will reuse for years
What is silicone and why is it better for the environment?
You’ll notice that many of the sustainable swaps I suggest include the use of silicone, which is actually a type of—you guessed it—plastic! I know what you’re thinking, but silicone is much more durable than softer, thinner plastics and therefore more reusable. And even though it takes about the same amount of time to break down as other plastic storage bags (about 500 years), crucially, it doesn’t leak microplastics as it degenerates. Also, if you were to use the same silicone spatula for 10 years, you would use less carbon than buying a new bamboo one each year. Food for thought.
Swap 4: Plastic wrap for beeswax wrap
It is time to bid adieu to flimsy plastic wrap. It is made from a particularly low-quality plastic, making it very difficult to recycle, as well as being single use; once it’s been used to wrap food, it’s contaminated and cannot be recycled. Beeswax wraps are my go-to reusable alternative. They are pieces of fabric covered in a light coating of beeswax and you can use them everywhere you would normally use plastic wrap (except for meat, fish and pet food). This method of storing food has been used for hundreds of years. Sigh . . . is there anything our buzzy little buddies cannot do?
Cost: $0.10 vs. $0.05
But, what about compostable plastic wrap?
Several companies have jumped to solve the many problems of plastic wrap, but while their products are compostable, they are still single use. So, I would always recommend opting for reusable items where possible. If you do buy compostable wrap, make sure it’s certified home compostable and that it makes it into your compost bin.
Swap 5: Paper towels for cotton napkins
Another misleading kitchen culprit is the paper towel. It’s another single-use item that has to go; not to mention paper towels are usually bleached with toxic chemicals and are often reinforced by a thin plastic weave. Swap them out for fabric tea towels (dish towels) and napkins, which do involve a little more washing, but at approximately 30 wipes per towel are a big improvement on disposable paper towels.
Paper towels: $1.83 per roll of 180, aka $0.01 per towel
Tea towels: $4 each (equivalent to 400 wipes or three months of use)
Swap 6: Plastic sponges for plant-based cloths
Every time you wring or rinse out a plastic sponge under the tap, it sheds thousands of microplastics into our waterways. Swapping to a plant-based sponge is not only better for the environment, but it also has natural antimicrobial properties—something a plastic sponge can never replicate.
Cost: $4.90 for 10, or approximately one plastic cloth per week
Swedish dishcloth: $19.95 for three (one cloth lasts 300 uses)
Swap 7: Plastic dish brush for bamboo dish brush
Speaking of microplastics, plastic dish brushes have the same impact as plastic sponges. Plus, they’re a breeding ground for bacteria. Opt for an untreated bamboo dish brush that has no plastic whatsoever. Once you’re done with it, it can be buried in your garden or composted.
Swap 8: Old plastic bags or paper bags for plastic garbage bags
Once you’ve banned all plastic bags, knowing what to put your rubbish in can present a challenge. Try repurposing old stored plastic bags or even sturdy potato chip (crisp) packets or e-commerce satchels. You can also make a bin bag out of newspaper or other scrap pieces. (I’d only recommend this if you’re composting at home, because your landfill bin will get soggy and wet.)
Cost: $0.15 per bag (approximately two per week) vs. $0
Swap 9: Dishwashing tablets for dishwashing powder
Bulk-produced dishwashing tablets often contain nasty chemicals and synthetic fragrances, not to mention the plastic casings the pods are sealed in, which don’t fully dissolve and fragment into microplastics. Go for dishwashing powder in a recyclable cardboard box. More and more, companies are not including those plastic scoops in their washing powder in a bid to encourage the reuse of older plastic scoops. You can also just use a household spoon.
Cost: $1.60 per wash vs. $0.33 per load
Swap 10: Chemical cleaning products for home-made cleaners
Someone asked me once if I would happily lick a surface after it had been cleaned with a chemical cleaner. It was a lightbulb moment. My answer was immediately “No”, which led me to make my own home-made cleaner from food scraps. You can also purchase natural refillable cleaners.
Cost: $7.00 vs. $1.00 per 750 millilitres bottle
Swap 11: Plastic bottles of soda water for a soda machine
Who doesn’t love a refreshing drink of bubbly water? Making your own bubbly water with refillable gas canisters means you can have sparkling water on tap, save a boatload of money on bottled sparkling and avoid a heap of plastic waste. It’s an all-round win.
Cost: $2.55 per 1 litre vs. $0.32 per 1 litre
Swap 12: Plastic bottles of dishwashing liquid for solid dishwashing blocks
Solid dishwashing blocks sound too good to be true, but I promise you they’re just amazing. These solid bars work similarly to a bar of soap; just leave them next to your sink, run your wet brush over the top of the bar and, poof! Soapy water to clean your dishes.
Read next:
- 17 money-saving tips you should be using right now
- Energy saving tips: 7 ways to slash your electricity bill
- Money-saving tips to survive the high cost of living
Text from 365+ ways to save the planet and your money at the same time by Lottie Dalziel. Murdoch Books RRP $34.99.
12 kitchen swaps to save money and the planet
