Eco-Friendly Non-Toxic Kitchen
There are myriad ways to make your kitchen more eco-friendly and plastic-free. Instead of using plastic containers, choose glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers for storing food. Avoid cookware with non-stick surfaces. Use wooden cutting boards instead of plastic ones. Plastic wrap can be replaced with reusable wax wraps or using containers with lids. Paper towels can often be replaced with washable cloths or reusable dishcloths. Use wooden, bamboo, or stainless-steel cooking utensils instead of plastic ones. Natural plant-based sponges are safer than synthetic options. Using natural cleaning products like baking soda and vinegar avoids toxic chemicals and the plastic bottles most cleaning products come in. (It’s less expensive too.) By making small changes like these, kitchens can become healthier and less toxic while also producing less waste.
In the Kitchen
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Cookware
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Kitchen Supplies
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Kitchen Cleaning
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Food Storage
Best Water Filters
The Environmental Working Group tested a number of countertop water filtration systems for their effectiveness at removing dangerous PFAS chemicals and other toxins. Their top choice was the Travel Berkey filter system. It’s a great size for kitchen counters, apartments and dorm rooms. In addition to PFAS, the filter system, which uses activated carbon to purify water, removes such toxins as heavy metals and inorganic materials. Berkey makes a variety of filtration system and not only are they consistently rated among the best, they are mostly metal with only a few plastic parts. Most other filters unfortunately are still mostly plastic.
Stay away from black plastic
Black plastic is especially dangerous because it’s typically made with recycled electronic waste (or E-waste).
Products made with recycled black plastic, such as spatulas and other kitchen utensils, have been found to contain a lot of plastic from dismantled electronics turned in by consumers for recycling. (TVs. computers.....) Typically the products’ housing contains toxic flame retardants, Studies have linked flame retardants to cancer, endocrine and immune systems disruption, thyroid dysfunction, neurological disorders, and reproductive and developmental harm. In addition to their toxicity, flame retardant chemicals also bioaccumulate in the body. They stay there and pile up. Continue reading
