A Joyful, Sustainable Kitchen: 10 Simple Swaps to Get Started

There’s a quiet luxury in using a soft cloth napkin at dinner or wiping the counter with a real kitchen towel. This simple swap is one of the easiest to make and has a wonderful effect. It feels more intentional, more like home. Keep a basket of clean, folded cloths on the counter for spills, a small stack of cloth napkins in a drawer for mealtimes and Swedish dishcloths on hand to clean up more difficult messes. They not only reduce a significant amount of daily waste but also bring a little bit of enduring beauty to your routine. Choosing simple cotton or linen cloths feels honest and good, and you can just toss them in with your regular laundry.

Here are some of our favorites: 

Grove Co. Organic Cloth Kitchen Towels + Grove Co. Swedish Dishcloths

The morning coffee ritual is a sacred moment for many. We can make it even more special by being mindful of how we brew. Those single-use plastic pods create a surprising amount of waste over time. Swapping them for a timeless method like a French press or a simple pour-over with a reusable metal filter turns your coffee routine into a more hands-on, joyful experience. You get to smell the fragrant grounds and take a quiet moment to prepare your cup. The coffee often tastes richer, and the only thing left behind is the compostable grounds, which your garden will love.

Here is one of our favorites: Bodum Chambord French Press

Like coffee pods, many tea bags contain micro-plastics and come individually wrapped, creating unnecessary waste. Switching to loose-leaf tea is a simple pleasure that feels both wholesome and a little bit special. You can buy beautiful, fragrant teas in bulk, storing them in simple glass jars. The ritual of scooping the leaves into a metal infuser and watching them unfurl in the hot water is wonderfully calming. You’re left with a purer-tasting cup of tea and spent leaves that can go straight into your compost bin.

Here are our favorites: OXO Tea Infuser Basket + Rishi Tea & Botanicals

The glass jar is one of the most useful tools in a sustainable kitchen pantry. Instead of a cupboard full of mismatched plastic containers, start collecting glass jars from products like jam, sauces, and pickles. They are perfect for storing leftovers, packing lunches, and organizing your pantry. Use them to store bulk-bin finds like oats, beans, and nuts. They keep food wonderfully fresh, they are easy to clean, and they create a beautiful, organized pantry where you can see all of your wholesome ingredients at a glance.

We prefer to use leftover jars, but if buying new here is one of our favorites: Ball Glass Jars

We’ve all gotten used to tearing off those thin plastic bags at the grocery store, but it’s a habit we can gently unlearn. Keeping a few lightweight, reusable cloth produce bags tucked inside your grocery totes is a simple and impactful swap. There is a simple satisfaction in filling them with fresh greens, crisp apples, and bright lemons. It feels good to bring your produce home without the extra layer of plastic, allowing it to breathe. It’s a small act that shows care for both your food and the planet.

Here is one of our favorites: EcoBags Produce Bags

A sustainable kitchen is filled with tools that are meant to last. Many modern non-stick pans are made with coatings that can wear out and release unwanted chemicals, needing to be replaced every few years. Investing in a classic cast-iron skillet or a quality set of stainless steel cookware is a choice for a lifetime.

A cast-iron pan, when cared for, becomes naturally non-stick and adds a wonderful flavor to food. It’s a piece of kitchen history that gets better with every meal and can be passed down through generations—a true testament to enduring, simple quality. Durable cookware like this is a cornerstone of a sustainable kitchen because it’s designed to last a lifetime.

Here is one of our favorites: Lancaster Cast Iron Skillet

Single-use plastic water bottles are a major source of pollution. The simplest swap is to invest in a reusable water bottle that you love to use, made from glass or stainless steel. Keep it filled with fresh, clean water from your tap. If you’re concerned about the taste or quality of your tap water, a simple pitcher-style filter or a filter that attaches directly to your faucet can provide pure, delicious water for your whole family. It’s a choice that’s better for your health, your wallet, and our oceans.

Here are a couple of our favorites: Klean Kanteen + Brita Water Pitcher

Your kitchen should be a place of health and well-being, and that includes the air you breathe. Many conventional cleaning products are filled with harsh chemicals. But you can clean your kitchen beautifully with a few simple, honest ingredients.

A spray bottle filled with equal parts white vinegar and water works wonders on countertops and windows. A sprinkle of baking soda makes a gentle scouring powder for sinks and stovetops. A fresh lemon can clean and deodorize a cutting board. These natural solutions are effective, safe for your family, and leave your home with a genuinely fresh, clean scent.

Here is one of our favorites: Amber Glass Spray Bottles

The common kitchen sponge is often made of plastic and can harbor bacteria, meaning it gets thrown out frequently. A lovely alternative is a dish brush made with a wooden handle and natural plant-based bristles. The heads are often replaceable and the old ones can be composted. You can also find sponges made from natural cellulose or loofah that are fully biodegradable. It’s a small detail, but choosing tools made from natural, renewable materials brings one more element of simple, earthy goodness into your kitchen.

Here is one of our favorites: Plastno Scrub Sponge

We often reach for a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil without a second thought when we bake. It’s quick, but it’s a piece of waste with every batch of cookies or roasted vegetables. A durable alternative that eliminates a lot of disposable waste is a set of silicone baking mats.

Think of them not as a gadget, but as a permanent part of your baking sheets. You simply lay one down, and it creates a perfect, non-stick surface that can be used thousands of times. There’s a quiet satisfaction in knowing you have this simple, reusable tool ready and waiting. When you're done, they rinse clean with a bit of soap and water, ready to be rolled up until the next time you feel like baking. It's a simple investment in years of happy, waste-free baking.

Here is one of our favorites: GIR Silicone Baking Mat

Creating a sustainable kitchen is really about love, intention, and small daily choices. Each swap you make—whether it’s reaching for a cloth napkin, cooking in a cast-iron pan, or storing food in a glass jar—is a quiet step toward a healthier home and a lighter footprint on our planet. A sustainable kitchen doesn’t need to be perfect; it’s about progress, joy, and celebrating the beauty of living simply.

Every time you choose a reusable tool over a disposable one, you’re creating a kitchen that reflects care for your family and respect for the earth. These swaps add up, shaping a space that feels wholesome, inspiring, and full of good energy.

So start where you are, embrace the little changes, and let your sustainable kitchen grow with you—one small step at a time.