Sustainable Swaps for Your Kitchen Sink

01/14/2022

 - By Kailey Bradt

Sustainable Swaps for Your Kitchen Sink

Looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle? Beyond our beauty cabinet, we like to share other ways to reduce waste too! Consider implementing these simple sustainable swaps for your kitchen sink. 

Dish Soap & Detergent

In terms of dish soap, find a minimalist goes-with-everything soap dispenser that is durable, easy-to-clean, and of course functional that you can refill time and time again with your favorite dish soap. This one from CB2 is super sleek and simple. Have a dishwasher too? We love these Dropps Dishwasher Detergent Pods that come packaged in compostable packaging (plus they ship carbon neutral too)! 

Dish Brushes & Sponges

That inexpensive green and yellow sponge that you have to replace constantly...swap it! Sponges are made with plastic and typically need to be replaced at least once a month. Roughly 400 million are thrown away just in the US every year! Traditional dish sponges are made from synthetic plastic fibers and pollute in landfills. Try these plant-based compostable sponges from Blueland instead. A lot of dish brushes are plastic too, and even if they’re refillable, they’re usually not recyclable. This dish brush from Package Free not only looks nice by your sink, but the brush head is compostable. Once your brush head is in need of a replacement, simply detach with some pliers and toss in either your home or community compost bin!

Upcycled Glass Container

Only 31% of the glass Americans buy gets recycled. Before you recycle your glass containers and bottles, see if you can reuse them! Wine bottles, juice containers, and large glass water bottles are great to upcycle into vases, containers to hold your household items, or even new food storage containers. This glass bottle has a really cool shape, so why not upcycle it for home decor? If you find yourself feeling wasteful after throwing away your fresh flowers after a week, opt for dried flowers. They don’t need any water to keep them looking alive and pretty!

Reusable Towels

According to the Ocean Conservancy, 13 billion pounds of paper towels are used each year in the United States. Paper towels are one of the top culprits for waste in the kitchen. For drying hands, swap paper towels for a 100% cotton dish towel like this one from Brooklinen. Bonus: they look way cuter too.

Water Filter

Did you know that 1 million plastic water bottles are purchased every minute? Plastic water bottles are unnecessary when there are many alternatives! In your home, you can keep a filter pitcher or add one to your sink. When you’re out and about, you can bring a reusable water bottle and fill it at work or as you run your errands.

Image Source: A Tiled House by Hannes Lippert and Charlotte Taylor, https://trendland.com/the-tiled-house-imagined-by-charlotte-taylor-hannes-lippert/