12 Eco-Friendly Food Products to Make Your Kitchen Greener
Can you guess which room in your house creates the most waste? You got it, the kitchen! Think about all of those “one-time-use” products you have on hand and immediately toss into the garbage abyss: paper towel, grocery bags, plastic wrap, plastic water bottles… this list goes on. Greenifying your kitchen means reducing the amount of waste you create by using sustainable products and removing toxic chemicals from the kitchen, which is especially important if you have young kids. There are so many innovative companies on a mission to make your life — and your kitchen — more eco-friendly. These 12 products can help you have a cleaner and greener kitchen.
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Abeego: Food Wrap
<p><a href="https://abeego.com/" target="_blank">Abeego</a> is by far one of my favorite kitchen products right now. Think plastic wrap, yet eco-friendly, reusable and visually beautiful. An adhesive and malleable food wrap made from beeswax that preserves and protects food, the creators of Abeego know that food is alive and needs to breathe, so when you use plastic wrap, food begins to sweat, suffocate and rot. This contributes to the 15 billion dollars of food waste Canadians toss into the compost heap every year. You can use Abeego to cover bowls of food, wrap it around fresh herbs, bread, or sliced fruit and vegetables. Simply hand wash it in cold water with dish soap, and continue to use it again and again.</p> -
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Jude’s Miracle Cloth
<p>Are you ready for a kitchen miracle? Watch as this product will make your need for paper towel and chemical sprays disappear. <a href="http://www.judesmiraclecloth.com/index.html" target="_blank">Jude’s Miracle Cloth</a> is made up of tiny, fine fibres that work to trap and absorb dirt and oil without leaving any scratches, streaks, spots or lint behind. Use this cloth to clean countertops, stainless steel appliances, windows, mirrors and the inside of your fridge. One reusable cloth is equivalent to using 22 rolls of paper towel. So don’t throw it away after one use; it can be used to clean your kitchen over and over again.</p> -
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Soda Stream FIZZI
<p>People love to buy cases of sparkling water, but plastic bottles and cans are wasteful. <a href="http://www.sodastream.ca/" target="_blank">SodaStream</a> has the perfect DIY solution for you: FIZZI is SodaStream’s newest sparkling water maker that’s designed to beautifully fit in your kitchen. This machine turns your plain old tap water into sparkling goodness by using reusable BPA-free carbonating bottles. One SodaStream bottle replaces approximately 2,000 bottles and FIZZI works wirelessly to reduce the need for electricity.</p> -
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GreenPan
<p>Making your kitchen eco-friendly is not only about reducing waste, it’s also about removing products that may pose a risk to your health. Many people are still using toxic cookware like aluminum pans and Teflon, which can affect your nervous and immune systems. <a href="http://www.greenpan.ca/" target="_blank">GreenPan</a><strong>™</strong>, on the other hand, is a set of safe cookware that uses ceramic non-stick coating that is heat resistant up to high temperatures, it doesn’t release toxic fumes and is environmentally and responsibly produced.</p> -
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Credobags: Bulk Bags & Produce Bags
<p>You’re already toting around your reusable canvas bag when you go food shopping, but plastic is still rampant at the grocery store. If you’re buying in bulk or need to wrap up produce, you're most likely still reaching for clear, plastic bags. <a href="http://www.credobags.com/" target="_blank">Credo</a> Bulk Bags and Produce Bags are here to change that. A Montreal based company that sustainably makes their bags out of organic cotton, hemp and bamboo. Credo offers the first North American made reusable mesh produce bag, so you can say ‘au revoir’ to the “tear-off-the-roll” plastic bags.</p> -
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ECOlunchbox
<p><a href="https://ecolunchboxes.com/" target="_blank">ECOlunchbox</a> is committed to getting plastic out of your kitchen. Their stainless steel food containers, especially their Blue Water Bento line, are leak-proof, unbreakable and adorably designed. They’re not just for taking lunch on-the-go; these containers have multi-uses like storing dry goods and saving leftovers.</p> -
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Sapadilla Dish Soap & Counter Top Cleanser
<p> <a href="http://sapadilla.com/" target="_blank">Sapadilla</a> is a Canadian company based out of British Columbia, creating plant-based, biodegradable, non-toxic, deliciously smelling and effective cleaning products. The dish soaps comes in three aromas all made with pure vegetable glycerin and essential oils, making them skin-friendly and safe for the whole family. The counter top cleaners are effective on all non-porous surfaces, including synthetic and natural stone, like marble and granite.</p> -
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Nellie’s All Natural Automatic Dish Powder
<p>Making your kitchen more eco-friendly means getting rid of toxic cleaners, especially chemically based dishwasher detergents. Most detergents use chlorine, phosphate, dyes, formaldehyde, ammonia, sodium laureth sulfate and synthetic fragrances, which can be harmful for your health and the environment. <a href="https://www.nelliesallnatural.com/" target="_blank">Nellie’s</a> prides itself on being a biodegradable, non-toxic, hypoallergenic detergent, free of any ingredients listed above. This all-natural product penetrates grease and food particles, leaving your dishes spotless.</p> -
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Enviro Glass Straw
<p>North Americans toss away about 500 million plastic straws a day, not to mention the fact that those one-time-use straws take about 200 years to break down. <a href="http://www.enviroglassstraw.ca/" target="_blank">Enviro Glass Straw</a> is Canada’s reusable glass straw makers. Their products are free of BPA’s, phthalates, toxic chemicals and made from the safest and strongest glass. The straws come straight or bent and make drinking water, smoothies and other beverages of choice way more fun, enjoyable and eco-friendly.</p> -
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CoffeeSock
<p>Morning coffee is a staple in most households, but most people use disposable, bleached coffee filters that get tossed out immediately and eventually wind up in landfills. <a href="http://coffeesock.com/" target="_blank">CoffeeSock</a> makes sustainable, reusable pour-over, coldbrew and drip coffee filters made from organic cotton.</p> -
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Stasher Bags
<p>Plastic zip-top baggies are convenient, yet wasteful. After their one-time use they often tossed, never to be seen or used again. <a href="https://stasherbag.com/" target="_blank">Stasher Bags</a> has created the first self-sealing, airtight, non-plastic bag. The bags are made from pure platinum silicone, making it safe for humans and for the environment, storing food just like plastic baggies, yet can be used thousands of times.</p> <p><a href="http://www.thebay.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/en/thebay/stasher-reusable-bag---15-oz-0103-sb01259cl--24" target="_blank">Buy it here</a>.</p> -
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Attitude: All Purpose Cleaners & Floor Surfaces, Tiles and Wood Cleaner
<p><a href="http://www.attitudeliving.com/" target="_blank">Attitude</a> prides itself on using “worry-free” ingredients that are hypoallergenic, cruelty-free, vegan, sustainable, natural and ECOLOGO Certified. This Canadian company is not only concerned with ensuring their ingredients are safe, their packaging is 100 per cent recyclable and their factories run on renewable energy.</p> <p><em>Tamara Green is co-founder of <strong><a target="_blank" href="http://livingkitchenwellness.com/">The Living Kitchen</a></strong>, a Holistic Nutritionist and Natural Cook. </em></p><p><a target="_self" href="http://www.foodnetwork.ca/blog/author/tamaragreen/"><strong>More posts</strong></a> from Tamara.</p>