More and more people are becoming concerned about living a sustainable lifestyle. From eating organic food to using natural beauty products, many are taking the necessary steps to become more environmentally friendly. If you are just starting out, the kitchen can be a great place to begin making eco-friendly changes to your lifestyle.
Remember that eco-friendly is anything that isn’t harmful to the environment. So, when looking to adopt a more eco-friendly kitchen you’ll want to look for high-quality and long-lasting products that are made from eco-friendly materials and that are produced with sustainability in mind. The products you choose should also have limited excess packaging that is recyclable, compostable or biodegradable. Anything that could help nourish your family while keeping them healthy and safe is considered a benefit too.
Below are some eco-friendly cooking essentials that are great alternatives to what you’ve been using in your kitchen.
Stainless Steel Knife Set
A good cutlery knife set is a must-have in any kitchen. There are many kitchen knives sets available on the market, but the FISSMAN Stainless Steel Knife Set is an option to consider. As a knife set that puts the environment first, it will make a fantastic addition to your sustainable kitchen.
What makes this knife-set eco-friendly is that each knife is constructed from a single piece of stainless steel, which is both stylish and eco-friendly. Stainless steel is 100% recyclable and it’s not coated with any toxic materials. The knives also don’t use wood or plastic parts for the handle. What you get are stylish 100% stainless steel blades that will last you for years to come.
Aside from being durable and stylish, the knives also have ergonomic steel handles that give you a strong grip. The knives are also razor-sharp and grant precise cutting, allowing you to take your cooking to the next level. The set includes:
- 20cm Chef’s knife: great for cutting meat, fillets and chopping vegetables. It can also be used for pressing spices like garlic;
- 20cm Slicer Knife: a knife with a long, narrow blade used to cut food into fine and thin slices. It’s the perfect knife option for Japanese food like sashimi;
- 20cm Bread Knife: as the name suggests, this knife is suitable for all types of bread and cakes. It can also be used to cut fruits like watermelon, pineapple or melon;
- 13cm Utility knife: a versatile knife that can be used for all types of products: fish, meat, vegetables, etc. It’s suitable for slicing, chopping, and shredding;
- 9cm Paring knife: the perfect knife for peeling fruits and vegetables.
All FISSMAN kitchen knives sets are made of high-quality, environmentally friendly and safe materials. Since the brand was established in 2008, it has become one of the largest manufactures of cookware and accessories for the kitchen. Warehouses in Australia allows the brand to optimize logistic cost and rationalize the production process. The company focus is to introduce all the best that is innovated in the production of kitchen utensils.
Reusable Containers
These gadgets are a must-have for a green kitchen. You can use them to store anything you want, including leftover, prepared food, and ingredients you buy in bulk like whole grains, dried fruit, etc. Glass jars are a great option. Keep in mind that you can also repurpose jars from purchased food like those from pasta sauces, pickles, etc.
Dishcloths
Australia is considered one of the largest consumers of paper products per capita in the world. We occupy third place on the list with a paper usage per head of 223kg after the US and Canada with an average of 229 kg of paper per capita annually. One of the things we can do to help reduce these numbers is to switch from paper towels to dishcloths. In addition to being more absorbent, dishcloths also offer a more elevated look in the kitchen.
Natural Cleaning Products
You won’t need natural cleaning products to cook but to clean your cooking mess. Let’s start with dish brushes. Switch your disposable sponge(which probably came packaged in single-use plastic) for a reusable dish brush that will clean just as efficiently as well as last much longer. Look for a model in which the head is biodegradable and can be replaced when it’s worn out.
Another item you may want to look for when shopping for natural cleaning products is an eco fruit and vegetable wash. These cleaning products have a 100% biodegradable formula that returns your fruit and veggies to the way nature intended, leaving no aftertaste. What these products do is remove residual pesticides, waxes, oils, and agricultural chemicals from produce, meaning they are an effective way to cleanse your produce. Know that organically grown produce can be vulnerable to drift spray, dirt and mould, human handling, and that a simple rinse may not be enough.
Go for a natural washing detergent as well. When regular detergent is washed down the drain, some of its ingredients aren’t caught by wastewater treatment and end up making their way into the water system. These chemicals have been linked to contributing to animal die-offs and other ecological problems. Natural washing detergents have minimal environmental impacts. Look for washing detergent formulated using only safe and natural ingredients that are kind to hands, safe for septic and greywater but tough on grime.
You also won’t want to throw your kitchen garbage in plastic garbage bags. Use compostable garbage bags instead. Compostable garbage bags are made using Non-GMO corn starch instead of plastic. In addition to being eco-friendly, these bags also offer superior puncture, tear and heat resistance and are leakproof, while being breathable for odour control.
