Eco-friendly kitchen products for a sustainable kitchen
Living a natural lifestyle extends throughout the whole home, and the kitchen is no exception. Using natural materials and eco-friendly products in your kitchen saves money in the long run and creates a low-toxic environment. Without plastic residues and unclear materials, you can feed yourself and your family with clean food without fear. If you’re interested in exploring more sustainable options, I’m here to share some friendly recommendations on what to consider and how to make your decisions based on those choices.
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How to make your kitchen more sustainable
Turning your kitchen into an eco kitchen doesn’t happen overnight. With small changes, you can reduce your carbon footprint if you start paying attention to things already before entering the grocery store. Avoiding the toxic chemicals of random kitchen tools by finding eco-friendly alternatives might feel like it takes time. When you have a natural lifestyle mindset, you’ll start making conscious choices and look for reusable alternatives for things like paper towels or single-use plastics.
- Avoid single-use items; if you have to buy, for example, single-use cutlery or plates, check that they are made from biodegradable materials to have a more sustainable option.
- Invest in quality and natural materials, such as wood, stainless steel, cast iron, and glass.
- Choose sustainable materials over plastic.
- Compost and recycle all you can, freeze or upcycle leftovers to avoid food waste
- Put some thought and do comparisons when making investments like kitchen appliances, but also for smaller buys, to find the best sustainable kitchenware for your home.
- Support local produce and seasonal ingredients.
- Choose energy-efficient appliances.
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Eco-friendly materials for a green kitchen
Four materials are over the others. They are durable, sustainable, and good for you, food, and the environment. These are wood, stainless steel, cast iron, and glass. They all have a long lifespan, and they are simple to maintain – a great option for a more eco-friendly lifestyle. There are, of course, many other options, but in this article, we will focus on these four.
1. Wooden sustainable cooking utensils
As Nordics, we tend to use wood as a raw material that comes into our houses, but wood, along with cast iron, is also our friend in the kitchen. Quality wooden cutting boards last a lifetime, and wooden utensils are trustworthy allies in any natural kitchen.
Watch out for PFAS to avoid harmful chemicals
When buying wooden kitchen utensils, watch out for PFAS – per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances – that are used to coat the products to repel grease, oil, and stains. PFAS don’t break down in the environment, and EEA’s Waterbase reported in 2024 that environmental PFAS pollution is increasing in European waters. PFAS are not just a concerning thing for the environment; exposure to PFAS might affect development and growth in both humans and animals. So best is to avoid products with PFAS completely.
I have found that the easiest way to avoid PFAS is to buy untreated wooden utensils and oil them with olive oil at home! If you don’t know or you want to be sure, that’s a great way to make a shortcut in the research phase!
My favorite eco-friendly wooden kitchen products
My favorite sustainable kitchen products are the wooden spoons and spatulas. You purchase them once, maintain and oil them once in a while, and you can cook with them for years. Same goes for wooden cutting boards!
Wooden cutting boards and breadboards
When cooking from scratch, the basic kitchen essentials are the ones that are reasonable to invest in. Using fast renewable wood like bamboo in cutting boards and breadboards is one good option. Choose one bigger and sturdier cutting board for chopping root vegetables and such, and the smaller ones you can cut some fruits, or use for bread plates in a table setting. They are quick to wash up or just wipe the crumbs off after breakfast.
Wooden spoons and spatulas
As I mentioned earlier, to avoid PFAS, I recommend buying uncoated wooden spoons and uncoated wooden spatulas, which you can oil with olive oil after purchase. These are normally quite affordable but are so durable and will last longer than any plastic spatula that might leave harmful chemicals into food that you are cooking, or do some toxic off-gassing when heated.
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2. Cast iron pots and pans
When buying cast iron cookware, you can buy ready-seasoned or you can easily season cast iron yourself. I have also successfully restored some cast iron pans purchased second-hand that seemed lost causes. So if you have a hearted cast iron pot, try seasoning it before throwing in the towel.
Cast iron pot
For stews and even sourdough breads, the cast-iron pot is the real deal. If you are a friend of bolognaise sauce, the cast iron pot will make your life so much more delicious when you can continue simmering the sauces in the oven after cooking them on a stove.
Cast iron Swedish pancakes pan
If you love pancakes, the Swedish pancake pan is your friend and sustainable ally in the kitchen. Making pancakes, nettle crepes, or even semolina bread, the Swedish pancakes pan makes it a whole lot easier for you. It commonly has seven small holes for pancakes, making frying the pancakes efficient and smooth. If you have small children, make plenty of tiny crepes for a simple toddler toddler-friendly, natural snack.
Cast iron skillet and cast iron blini pan
A simple, sustainable choice is to invest in a cast iron skillet, to avoid Teflon and harmful coatings on skillets that tend to warp and be scratched easily. If you are an omelette lover or you love the Russian blinis, a small cast-iron blini pan is a good helper in your eco-friendly kitchen.
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3. Stainless steel tools and saucepans for a sustainable kitchen
Stainless steel is an amazing, eco-friendly material because steel is 100% recyclable. Producing stainless steel kitchen products and tools is environmentally friendly, and the final products are incredibly durable and corrosion-resistant.
My favourite stainless steel items in the kitchen
Stainless steel silverware, measuring cups, and spoons
Avoid single-use plastic cutlery, and choose stainless steel silverware even for picnics (you can always wash them back home!) Things that you use often, like measuring cups or measuring cup sets, are durable friends, unlike their plastic replacements.
Teapots and kettles
When choosing a teapot or tea kettle, stainless steel is a good option if you want to have a teapot that you can put on the stove (aka tea kettle), and serve too!
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Simple pots and saucepans
Have on hand one small saucepan for sauces and boiling eggs, and one larger one for soups and cooking pasta. Choose one with a steamer basket and you can simply steam some vegetables too.
Stainless steel water bottles
Instead of plastic bottles, try out the reusable water bottles made out of stainless steel. Steel is so durable, even in the hands of small children. These stainless steel water bottles keep drinks cold for 24 hours and warm for 8 hours, so they’re perfect when hiking in nature and handy in the gym. If you buy several, choose different colors or decorate with different-colored stickers as our daughter did: I have a hot air balloon, and my husband has a turtle!
Reusable stainless steel straws
If you tend to make smoothies and iced teas in your kitchen, the stainless steel straws are a must. Anything that you are using every now and then is better to have reusable than plastic straws or even biodegradable ones. These stainless steel straws I have had for so long, and they are handy for mixing the drink as well, with the little spoon attached!
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4. Kitchenware and storage containers made out of glass
When thinking about storing food and sustainable alternatives to plastic containers, glass is one good option. When you want to avoid harmful chemicals, such as BPA (Bisphenol-A), which some plastic materials contain, glass storage containers might be the right fit for you. Unlike plastic, the recycling cycle of glass is infinite, which means that glass can be reused over and over again without losing its quality.
My favourite eco-friendly kitchen items are made out of glass
Glass containers for storing leftover food
Choose a glass container set with a bamboo lid or similar. The best for organizing in the kitchen is if you choose a set that nests well.
Glass jars for storing dry food
Choose the glass jars that have an airtight lid to store dried goods like roasted cashews, nuts, or almonds for a snack, chives cream spread or even homemade almond butter.
They look beautiful on the shelf and are a simple way to keep your pantry organized. Watch the video I shared on Instagram to get more ideas on how to use glass jars.
Glass bottles, pitchers, and carafes for homemade beverages
Glass bottles and pitchers are perfect for herbal infusions, homemade rhubarb juices, and iced teas to store in the fridge. When making drinks and sauces from scratch, it is good to have smaller glass bottles for smoothies to fit into your purse or to store some tomato sauce in it.
Glass teapot
Choose a borosilicate glass teapot to make sure that it is heatproof. The glass ones are the most beautiful teapots to steep herbal teas in.
Other helpful eco-friendly kitchen products
On the side of making and storing the food, here are some great options to use when shopping, composting the food, and cleaning in the kitchen.
Beeswax wrap
Beeswax wraps and beeswax snack wraps are an eco-friendly alternative to cling film. Bee’s Wrap now has a beautiful selection of different patterns of the roll of beeswax wrap that you can cut into the sizes you want, which is so handy!
Canvas tote bag and produce bags for sustainable shopping
Take a simple reusable tote bag with you when going shopping, so you don’t need to rely on a plastic bag and pay the cents every single time. A canvas tote bag made of organic cotton is a durable and sturdy one for carrying groceries home.
Reusable produce bags, small, lightweight mesh bags that are easy to take with you to shop for fruits and vegetables. Simple way to say no to plastic bags.
Silicone bags for eco-friendy food storing
Silicone food storage bags, the Stasher bags, are simple, reusable food storage bags for travel or a simple lunch. Great alternative to single-use plastic bags and plastic packaging. The good thing is that Stasher bags are BPA-free and an eco-friendly alternative to zip-lock bags.
Silicone mats for sustainable baking
Silicone baking mats are a good way to reduce the use of parchment paper. We used those at the restaurant all the time! It is a simple way to cut costs and keep things more sustainable.
Kitchen towels
Choose simple cotton tea towels instead of single-use paper towels. Store several tea towels to change when one is dirty and wash the other one. Simple to dry hands or dishes with.
Reusable dishcloth
Choose a bamboo or hemp dishcloth to have the most absorbent natural material. I love the Finnish Kierti dishcloths, this beautiful bamboo dishcloth with an onion pattern is one of my favourites that I have in several colors. Other options are, for example, the reusable Swedish dishcloths (by Bee’s Wrap) that are made of cellulose and cotton.
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Wooden dish brushes
German Redecker is one of my favorites what comes to wooden brushes. They make beautiful natural dish brushes with the black horse hair that you can buy with a replaceable head . If you prefer to keep it plant-based, you can choose dish brush with the sisal bristles, which is slightly harder.
Plant-based dish soap and natural cleaning products
Using simply Castile soap or Marseille soap is my way to simple dishwashing with less waste and chemicals in the kitchen. I adore the French Marius Fabre olive oil Marseille soap cube, which has no fragrances, nothing extra, and it is packed in a carton box. For general cleaning, black soap, vinegar, lemon, and baking soda are perfect natural options.
Brush and dustpan
Cleaning in the kitchen must be easy and smooth, and that is why a stand dustpan set is crucial for quick cleanup. Set them in the corner near the messiest part of the kitchen, and I guarantee you will use them so often when they look beautiful and they are conveniently on hand!
What are your eco-friendly favourites in your kitchen?
Let me know your best choices in sustainable kitchenware, cooking utensils, and kitchen cleaning! Tag me on Instagram with @blue.tea.tile or comment below, I would love to know more!
Recipes from scratch
