25 Eco-Friendly Kitchen Products You Must Have to Live a Sustainable Lifestyle

If you want to live more sustainably, we cannot think of a better place to start your journey than transforming your kitchen into an eco-friendly haven.

As the heart of a home where everyone in the family comes together to cook and eat, the kitchen offers plenty of areas where you can minimize your carbon footprint. By ditching single-use, toxic plastics in favor of reusable, chemical-free, natural products and composting the leftovers, we can do a lot of good for our health and the planet.

Today, we’ve rounded up 25 greener alternatives for a kitchen that matches your eco-conscious ethos. So, let’s jump right in!

Sustainable Kitchen Products: 25 Clever and Earth-Friendly Inventions Your Kitchen Must Have 

Reusable, compostable, organic, vegan, made from recycled material - we’ve got a whole list of eco-friendly kitchen products that are easy on the planet and so convenient that you’ll never miss single-use items again. Read on to know what they are:

1. Paperless Kitchen Towels

Let’s kick off with one of the most hardworking kitchen tools - A kitchen towel. The idea is to go paperless and move away from disposable towels and opt for reusable ones. Our dainty plaid kitchen towels or flour sack kitchen towels are made from 100% organic cotton, making them highly absorbent, super functional, and versatile. 

The organic cotton fabric is produced with carbon-neutral methods without harsh chemicals. You can use these towels for cleaning, wiping, drying, as well as serving the food. Plus, these machine-washable towels come with a loop to place them on a hook or handle.

2. Muslin Produce Bags

If single-use plastic produce bags have been a part of your kitchen, it’s time to let them go. Instead, opt for low-impact, high-quality reusable produce bags. These reusable bags are crafted using the natural and highly-breathable muslin or mesh fabric to extend the life of your fruits and veggies naturally. Use them to carry produce from the farmer’s market. They can even be used in the refrigerator to keep the items fresh for days. When not in use, simply stash them in a drawer or use them to store other dry items.

3. Beeswax Food Wraps

These are winning hearts for their ability to eliminate single-use aluminum foils and cling wraps from our kitchens. We love these adorable-looking wraps from Bee’s Wrap, made from an ultra-thin layer of certified organic cotton coated with responsibly sourced beeswax, organic oils, and tree resin. Seal your food in these and wash them with mild soap and cold water to reuse them. It’s as easy as that!

4. Bamboo Cooking Utensils

While you may already have a trusty set of cooking utensils at home, just in case you’re scouting for more, might we suggest opting for wooden utensils instead of non-biodegradable plastic ones? How about trying Riveira’s cooking set made from natural and highly renewable bamboo? These sturdy, practical spoons and spatulas are up for whatever task you put them to. With bamboo’s moisture-wicking qualities, you don’t even have to worry about them attracting mold.

5. Swedish Dishcloth

Here’s an interesting piece of trivia for you: A Swedish dishcloth can soak up to 20 times its weight! Meaning that it can easily replace up to 17 rolls of paper towels.

Need more reasons to get these eco-friendly, not to mention beautifully patterned dishcloths?

Then here they are - These super absorbent towels are made from a mix of cotton and cellulose wood pulp, making them 100% biodegradable. You can wash them in the washer or the top drawer of the dishwasher.

What’s more, once you’re finally done with them, you can compost them with the food scraps.

Do you know? What is a white tea towel? Find out how they’re different from dish towel.

6. Reusable Cloth Bowl Covers

Another surefire way to make your kitchen more eco-friendly is cutting down on disposable plastic cling wrap and aluminum foils by replacing them with reusable bowl covers. These are made from 100% flax linen and come with elastic to hug bowls of various sizes and protect the contents inside. A pack of these should be enough to cover multiple dishes and keep dust, flying insects, and creepy crawlies miles away.

7. Reusable Muslin Tea Bags

Make tea time healthy and sustainable with cotton muslin tea bags. Ordinary tea bags are known to be a major source of microplastics that are neither good for our health nor the planet. On the other hand, these clever little tea bags made from unbleached, non-toxic, food-grade quality muslin are plastic-free and can be used over and over again.

8. Mesh Onion Bags

Like muslin produce bags, mesh bags with convenient drawstring closure are useful for carrying and storing produce. Unpeeled onions require good airflow to stay fresh for longer. And there’s nothing better than airy mesh onion bags to keep them crisp and fresh at room temperature as well inside a refrigerator. Besides onions, mesh produce bags work well in storing virtually any dry item you can get at a grocer’s or farmer’s market, from apples to nuts to plants.

9. Silicone Baking Cups and Muffin Liners

While silicone can’t match a natural material’s sustainability, its reusability, versatility, and durability fit well in a circular economy. Plus, its production creates a lower impact than plastic. So, if you’re looking for a way out from using single-use paper muffin liners, parchment paper, and tin foils in your baking routine, then silicone baking products are worth exploring. These are made from food-grade silicone and are easy to use and reuse.

10. Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags

You can say bye to disposable brown paper bags and single-use plastic wraps by stocking up on a few reusable cloth zipper bags for your kitchen. We love Stasher’s bags. These easy-to-use pinch-loc bags are made from silicone free of BPA, BPS, latex, and lead. Use them for meal preps, carrying lunch, or storing leftovers. According to Stasher’s, one of these can save up to 260 single-use plastic bags a year!

It is best to opt for a canvas lunch bag as an ideal alternative to be used as your sandwich and snake bag.

Related Article: Upcycling vs Recycling

11. Multi-Purpose Cotton Cheesecloth 

Nothing beats having a kitchen tool like a nut milk bag that can take on multiple tasks. Say hello to cotton cheesecloth - the highly versatile kitchen workhorse made from ultra-fine and unbleached cotton that can do so much more than help with making cheese. You can use them to bundle and store herbs, strain soups and stocks, make plant-based milk, polish silverware, filter coffee, help with turkey basting, cover food - phew! Is there anything that cheesecloth cannot do?

12. Zero Waste Vegan Dish Soap

When you’re thinking of bringing more sustainability to your cooking space, you also need to think about cleaning products. Dish detergents are chock full of chemicals that pollute the waterways and harm marine life. They also come in plastic containers that end up in landfills. That’s why we’re obsessed with No Tox Life’s vegan dish block, made of biodegradable ingredients, free of plastic packaging, and great at getting the grime and grease out of your dishes.

Related Article: Biodegradable vs. Compostable. Are Products Labeled Compostable and Biodegradable Eco-Friendly? Click on the link to find the answer.

13. Compostable Sponges

Speaking of cleaning products, how about replacing microplastic-shedding dish scrubs with earth-friendly ones? The UK-based Composty makes 100% compostable and plastic-free sponges from natural cellulose that are tough on grime and grease but not your utensils. They’re washable and reusable; at the end of their useful life, just toss them in the compost bin.

14. Collapsible Coffee Cup

Sip your coffee in style with a collapsible coffee tumbler by Stojo. A game-changer in cutting the single-use coffee takeaway cups that take years to decompose in a landfill. This 12-ounce leak-proof tumbler made from silicone is reusable and comes with a heat sleeve to keep the beverage hot. Carry this with you and ask the barista to fill it up with your favorite morning brew. No biggie!

15. Borosilicate Glass Bottle

As convenient as they seem, disposable PET water bottles are not good news for the planet. Their production generates significant emissions and waste, and they decompose, leaching toxic chemicals into waterways and soil. So, if you’ve been stocking up on disposable water bottles, it’s time to ditch them STAT. You can instead use this reusable glass bottle made from long-lasting borosilicate to hydrate yourself. It also comes with a bamboo lid for spill-proof water-sipping.

16. Linen Bread Storage Bags

Want to know an eco-friendly secret to keep your bread fresh for longer with all the goodness of its crust intact? Say hello to reusable bread bags made from 100% cotton linen. These breathable bags come with a drawstring closure to provide the perfect storage environment for your bread. You can choose from roomier sizes for artisanal loaves and sourdoughs or longer ones for baguettes. And when it’s time for a good clean, pop them in the washer and hang them dry.

17. Stainless Steel Mesh Pour Over Coffee Dripper

Your daily caffeine fix could be causing adding to pollution, whether it’s in the form of disposable coffee cups, pods, or paper filters. That’s why it’s time to get yourself a pour-over coffee dripper from Maranello. This no-frills manual coffee maker features an ultra-fine stainless steel micro mesh to extract the rich flavor from coffee grounds. The versatile design ensures you can brew your coffee over a cup, carafe, or thermos at home, at work, or on the go. It’s also easy to clean, unlike coffee brewing machines.

18. SodaStream Sparkling Water Maker

Are you someone who simply cannot do without sparkling water or sodas? Then you need to get this wonderful kitchen appliance, pronto. No need to stock up on bottles and cans of fizzy water as with the SodaStream, you can make your favorite bubbly drinks at home.

19. Food Huggers

One thing that’s really frowned upon in sustainable living is wasting food. With the ability to preserve your sliced fruits and veggies for longer, there’s no denying that Food Huggers have been a game-changing kitchen invention of recent times. These flexible tools are made from BPA-free and food-safe silicone to create a snug seal around the food and slow down the perishing process in the fridge.

20. Non-Toxic Ceramic Cookware

Caraway’s wide range of non-stick ceramic-coated cookware is designed for healthy cooking. Not only do these pots and pans add a touch of sophistication to your kitchen, but they are also ethically made and free of toxic chemicals that could leach into your food. The brand also says its production involves a significantly less carbon footprint than traditional cookware. Pretty impressive, huh?

21. Reusable Straw Set

Plastic straws can take up to 200 years to decompose, and with so many greener alternatives, there’s no reason it should be a part of our lives anymore. You can use Hiware’s lovely stainless steel straws that arrive with a slim brush to give them a good cleaning.

22. Energy Star Appliances

If you’ve been eyeing a new refrigerator or dishwasher, make sure that you only buy those with a high Energy Star rating. Such appliances are way more energy efficient than their non-rated or low-rated counterparts. Not only are these good for the planet, but they also help cut down on energy bills.

23. Multi-Purpose Canvas Grocery Bags

Next up on our list are our reusable grocery bags made from heavy-duty organic cotton canvas to make your trips to the supermarket more environmentally friendly. These bags feature multiple compartments to organize your shopping and come with convenient X-stitched handles for a comfortable carrying experience.

24. Reusable Piping Set

Calling all home bakers! It’s time to up the sustainability quotient of your baking by ditching disposable piping bags. No, we don’t want you to give up the frosting and icing of your baked goodies! Bring home a set of strong, reusable piping bags and tips, and be the green baker you were always meant to be.

25. Compost Bin or Caddy

You can’t call a kitchen sustainable if it doesn’t have a good ol’ compost bin. A compact compost bin or caddy should be good enough to gather your leftover food scraps and routinely transfer them into a composter. We recommend Simpehuman’s detachable countertop compost caddy, designed to hang on the side of your trash can. 

Final Thoughts

Making your kitchen a place that supports your eco-conscious lifestyle will take small and steady changes. The last thing we want you to do is to go on a shopping spree, throw away all the no-nos, and replace them with all the eco-friendly kitchen products on this list. That would be simply wasteful. Building a sustainable lifestyle is a journey every day is a sweet victory.