Life in Plastic, Not So Fantastic: 12 Products to Help You Chop Plastic Out of Your Kitchen

Words by Peppermint

14 July 2022

What month is it again? While mentally we might still be stuck in 2019, Father Time keeps ticking away and all hands are pointing to Plastic Free July. 2022 sees the initiative in its twelfth year as millions of people around the globe join the pledge to reduce their plastic waste.⁠⁠

We know you’re already shunning plastic straws and remembering your reusables, but this Plastic Free July, we thought we’d take a journey through the home, eliminating plastic in each room as we go. Of course, the most sustainable products are the ones you already have on hand, but there’s no better time to share some love to the brands out there fighting the war on waste, all year round. Next in the series… the kitchen.

Whether you’re a bona fide home chef or need a recipe to make cereal, there’s a reason the kitchen is often called the heart of the home. It’s where we gather with our loved ones to cook generational recipes, pop champagne on special occasions and slow dance to records on cold winter nights. Sadly though when it comes to food preparation, there’s often a side order of plastic. Here are a few brands we love who are cleaning up your act.

THE SWAG

Keep your fruit and veggies fresh for up to two weeks with The Swag, made of 100% fair trade cotton. Waste less food, spend less money and use less plastic? That really waltzes our Matildas!

SOYOUNG

Pack lunch that packs a punch. SoYoung lunch boxes are cool as cooler bags for you or the young ones, with stylish raw linen fabric exteriors and PVC-free, phthalate-free aluminium insides.

ZILCH

This buildable bundle from Zilch takes the guesswork out of plastic-free living. From essentials such as soap and dishcloths to extras like coconut-fibre scourers, your kitchen cleaning swag is sorted in three easy steps!

EARTHS TRIBE

Wipe down waste with these Certified Organic cotton “unpaper towels” – designed to replace disposable kitchen roll. Versatile, machine washable and double ply for extra strength – that’s how we roll.

ZIPTOP

Get your food storage in shape with these 100% PVC-free platinum silicone containers, designed to replace ziplock bags. Useful for leftovers, lunches, snacks and more – they stand up, stay open and zip securely shut.

RETURNR

Looking for lunch on the run minus the plastic waste? The innovative Returnr lets you take away your food or coffee in borrowed, stainless steel containers that are then returned for a refundable deposit.

GREAT WRAP

When clingy is a good thing… This world-first compostable cling wrap is made from corn starch and plant-based resins, designed to break down within 180 days in your home compost or green-waste bin.

AMBER’S FOOD WRAPS

Mind your beeswax… organic reusable beeswax food wraps that is. Aboriginal-owned and made, Amber’s Food Wraps are 100% cotton with designs by First Nations artists from the Northern Territory.

POTTERY FOR THE PLANET

Look forward to coffee or lunch on-the-go in the stunning ceramics, handmade on the Sunshine Coast, by Pottery for the Planet. One-of-a-kind and sealed with a silicone lid, your plastic-free meal will be the envy of the lunchroom.

GHOST WARES

Hey there, hot stuff! Make your mornings just a little bit easier (and cooler) thanks to this gorgeous stone coffee pot, hand-made by Melbourne-based ceramics studio Ghost Wares.

PODSTAR

Just can’t quit your coffee pod habit? Happily, for you, there’s a sustainable option. Podstar’s reusable, stainless steel capsules fit a variety of machines, including the Clooney classic, Nespresso.

AUSSIE BREAD BAGS

Aimed at combating the one million plastic bread bags that enter Australian landfill every day, these NSW-made reusable cotton bread bags also help avoid the pesky mould that plastic can encourage!