Life in Plastic, Not So Fantastic: 12 Products to Help You Chop Plastic Out of Your Kitchen
- Words by Peppermint
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.
READ MORE – Life In Plastic, Not So Fantastic: 13 Products to Help You Flush Plastic from Your Bathroom
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.
READ MORE – Business (Not) as Usual: This Couple Has Plastic Waste All Wrapped Up
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.
READ MORE – All Kilns Glazing: Meet the Local Pottery Brand Fighting for the Planet
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!
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The fabulous Fern! We heart this make from the wonderful Trixie Johnston of @WithLoveTrixie:
"I’m chuffed to have collaborated with @PeppermintMagazine to bring you my version of the #PeppermintFernPleatedPants ✨
Featuring a wide leg fit with pleated front, slash pockets and a nifty centre back invisible zip. I really enjoyed the way this pattern is drafted to fit, which means a lot coming from a mum navigating postpartum curves. It’s tailored yet comfortable and hugs me in all the right places without any additional fit adjustments.
I also want to give a massive shout to the Fern’s sewing partners @Sohmo_Au for sending me a cookie tin of quality sewing goodies that I used throughout the project and @IndyBindyFabrics fabrics who provided the most incredible black cotton Sashiko-ori fabric. This fabric was made on a custom loom that weaves in a traditional sashiko (decorative running stitch pattern) and it’s a texture unlike anything I’ve sewn before.�
Details: �
• Size G – No mods. (I selected the size based off my waist measurements) Note: Size ranges from A-P (!!!)
• Fern Pleated Pants Pattern, SOHMO tools and Fabric were gifted however, Peppermint magazine’s ‘Pay what you can’ model provides such amazing patterns at a sustainable, affordable cost.
• Matching top is a modified version of The Carol Top from @SummerHaus_ (size 10)"
#PeppermintPatterns #IndyBindyFabrics #Sohmo #MeMade
“When people get old, they die. This art form is like a plant. You may think it has died, but nurture it, and it will come back to life. It lives on through generations.”
These words by Gami, an artisan who helped revive the lost tradition of Lambadi embroidery, speaks to the wisdom that Meanjin/Brisbane photographer Melanie Hinds (@WithThePeaches) experienced during her visit to Sittilingi village in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, India, in 2023. Melanie went there to document how the once-nomadic Lambadi tribe are reviving their traditional embroidery craftsmanship and transforming their community through the @PorgaiArtisans Association’s artists’ residency.
Her photos became part of the ‘Stitching Stories’ exhibition at the India Ocean Craft Triennial (IOTA24) Program hosted in Fremantle: an intimate portrait of the women empowered both economically and socially by the initiative, and their captivating work. Gaelle Beech of @TheAnjelmsProject also helped make this exhibition a reality.
Nothing goes to waste in their craft, says Melanie, with even the smallest fabric scraps transformed into toys for children or woven into ropes for beds. “Through their intricate hand-stitched work, these women are preserving a centuries-old craft.”
Discover the beauty in our ‘Pride of place’ feature in Issue 64, at stockists now.
#PeppermintMagazine #PorgaiArtisans #LambadiEmbroidery #Craft #TraditionalEmbroidery
West End inside and out!
How fabulous is this make from Lisa of @SunnySewsEveryday using the West End Jacket pattern (created in collab with Camille @CamiMadePatterns) for both a shirt AND jacket! 👏🏼
“Now have a Westend shirt to wear with my Westend jacket. I just can’t get enough of this pattern. I went down two sizes and used a brushed cotton from Pound Fabrics.”
Grab this gorgeous gender-neutral pattern from our website now!
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintWestEndJacket #JacketPattern #MeMade
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
At @Life_Instyle, the focus is firmly on curating things that support real life: objects made to be lived with, loved, and returned to day after day. From tactile materials and emotional utility to Australian-made craftsmanship and slower, more considered production, the trends emerging may not be loud, but you can bet they’re lasting.
Ahead of their Sydney showcase this February, we asked Life Instyle’s Exhibition Director Nina Vidale to share her take on the values, ideas and rituals shaping the year to come, and the brands leading the way with care for people, planet and the creative process.
Read more about the top ethical design trends, and why values-led design (be it sustainability, craftsmanship, longevity, Australian-made) are resonating so strongly right now at the link in bio!
✨️ Life Instyle Sydney/Eora Country
📅 14-17 February 2026
📍 ICC, Darling Harbour
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #EthicalShopping #DesignTrends
Has the Peppermint Acacia A-line Skirt made it to your sewing list yet? It`s perfect for summer, and is great layered over tights for the cooler days. Lengthen it, or wear it short – you do you!🪡
Did you know if you buy the digital version of Issue 63, you`ll nab the digital pattern for free? And the printed version comes with the print issue of 63... winning all round.
Made in collaboration with our friends at @WeftAndWarpFabrics, our version of the Acacia A-line Skirt pattern was sewn using the Tollerton 100% cotton 9oz denim. We added contrast top stitching using Gutermann Professional Jeans Thread in Dark Gold 1970 for that classic look.
Head to the link in bio to nab this pattern now – or grab it free with Issue 63!🪡
Images: @KelleySheenan
Model: @LoveStepha
Artwork: @MelanieShmelanie at North Lakes Library
Fabric: Denim from @WeftAndWarpFabrics
#PeppermintAcaciaAlineSkirt #PeppermintMagazine #PeppermintPatterns #MeMade #WeftAndWarpFabrics
