Beyond The Plastic Bag- Sustainable Kitchen Swaps

Natalia Jaramillo
May 1
4 min read

A room-by-room guide to sustainable and practical swaps.

Many of us begin with a reusable bag, which is a great starting point! However, the bag is merely the beginning, a gateway to an engaging discussion about what our homes consume and use. The reality is that our kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms are filled with small, habitual sources of waste and plastic that have become normalized. This isn't due to a lack of care, but because they have always been present. This guide is the first in a series that will explore each room in our homes, offering simple, accessible swaps. It encourages us to reflect on our current purchases and consider sustainable alternatives. Each swap includes a cost estimate and explains its environmental impact. You don't need to change everything at once or strive for perfection. Small actions can lead to significant impact!

The Kitchen

The kitchen is ground zero for household waste. Between single-use packaging, plastic tools, toxic cleaners, and disposable wraps, it's also where the most consequential swaps live. The good news is that most are cheap, and once you make them, you never think about them again.

Plastic/ Cling Wrap -> Beeswax wraps or silicone lids

Plastic cling wrap is one of the least recyclable plastics in your home because it jams recycling machinery and almost always ends up in landfill. Beeswax wraps mold to bowls and containers with the warmth of your hands, wash easily, and last 1–2 years. Silicone stretch lids work for larger containers and are essentially lifelong replacements. Both are available at most grocery stores now and cost about $15-25.

Sliced bread wrapped in yellow Bee's Wrap with honeycomb pattern. Packaging is shown on the side with "Wrap, Rinse, Reuse" text.

Paper Towels -> Unpaper towels, Who Gives a Crap, or old rags

The average American household uses about 80 rolls of paper towels per year. Cloth alternatives, whether purpose-made "unpaper towels" that snap onto a roll holder, or simply cut-up old t-shirts, handle every job paper towels do, wash well, and can last for years. This swap also saves real money: $80–120 per year on average. If you really like disposable paper towels, consider buying them from Who Gives a Crap, a sustainable company that sells paper towels made of recycled paper and ship them without plastic.

Costs: a 6 pack of recycled paper towels costs $22

Colorful paper towel rolls with bold patterns surround a box labeled "who gives a crap." Text on the box reads "100% Recycled Paper Towels."

Dish Sponge -> Compostable scrubbers or dish brush

Conventional dish sponges are made of polyurethane foam. This means they are plastic, shed microplastics into your water, and they can't be recycled. Swedish dish cloths (made of cellulose and cotton) replace both sponges and paper towels, are compostable, and can replace about 1,500 paper towels. Wood-handled dish brushes with replaceable heads are another excellent option.

Cost: a three pack of swedish dish cloths costs about $12; a wooden dish brush costs $7.99

Blue and teal reusable cloths stacked, top one partially folded. Text: "BLUELAND This cloth can replace 1,500 paper towels." White background.

Two wooden dish brushes with bristles, one facing up and one down, on a white background. Handles have "ZW ESSENTIALS" text.

Liquid Dish Soap -> Dish soap bar or concentrate tablets

Liquid dish soap is about 90% water in a plastic bottle. Concentrated dish soap bars, powders, or drop-in tablet concentrates deliver the same cleaning power with a fraction of the packaging. Brands like Blueland and Meliora also sell dishwasher tablets if you prefer using a machine.

Cost: A block of Meliora dish soap costs $10.99 and Blueland dish powder costs $10.80-$14.40

Two cylindrical bars of light-colored dish soap and a Meliora Cleaning Products box with yellow design, labeled "plastic-free."

Blueland dish soap powder and bottle with blue bowls and a wooden brush on a white background. Text highlights plastic-free and eco-friendly.

Ziplock Bags -> Reusable silicone bags or glass containers

Ziplock style bags are used once and discarded. Silicone storage bags can go in the dishwasher, freezer, and microwave. For longer-term storage, glass containers with snap lids are the gold standard. The upfront cost is higher, but it's a one-time purchase.

Cost: a sandwich size stasher bag retails for $13.99

Reusable bags with sliced fruits and veggies, blender, berries, oats, and leafy greens on a white surface. Bright, fresh, and healthy mood.

Conventional coffee pods -> Reuseable pod or French Press

Billions of single-use coffee pods end up in landfills each year as they are a composite of plastic, foil, and grounds that can't be easily separated and recycled. A reuseable stainless steel pod fills can by filled with any ground coffee. A French press or pour-over does not require pods, filters, or plastic in general.

Cost: This universal pod costs $16.99

Pink reusable coffee pod filled with grounds, open lid revealing black design.

Non-stick cookware (PTFE/Teflon) -> Cast iron or stainless steel

Non-stick pans are coated with PTFE, a synthetic chemical in the PFAS (forever chemical) family that can leach into food when the coating scratches or degrades. The fix is simple: cast iron for everyday cooking and stainless steel for sauces or other foods where cast iron weight is unnecessary. Neither requires too much extra care. If you have a scratched non-stick pan, that's your sign to make the switch.

Cost: a 10.25 inch cast iron pan costs between $25-30 with stainless steel pans varying more in price, typically between $25-$60

Black cast iron skillet with a handle on a white background. Text "Lodge" visible on the bottom handle. Simple and classic design.

Conclusion

The kitchen is a place where many of us spend more time than we might think, cooking, cleaning, and using the same items repeatedly. These changes don't require altering your routine; they simply suggest redirecting it, one purchase at a time. When your cling wrap is finished, consider using beeswax wrap. When your sponge is worn out, opt for a Swedish dishcloth. You're not completely revamping your kitchen; you're gradually making it more sustainable and purposeful. That's sufficient. Your small actions genuinely make a difference.