Over the years, I’ve interviewed dozens of scientists and safety experts, and all but one has sounded the alarm over the swath of problems plastic causes to our health, wildlife, ecosystems, atmosphere and the communities who live near manufacturing plants.
(The one dissenter, who went so far as to suggest ingesting plastic might actually be good for humans, was a paid lobbyist for the plastics industry.)
But, even though I was acutely aware of the ills of plastic, parting from it felt overwhelming and expensive, and even if I did, what good would actually come from the effort? I mean, plastics have taken over our homes — to the point where we directly ingest the equivalent of two fuzzy hamsters worth of the stuff each year (about 250 grams). And that doesn’t even include the thousands of chemicals embedded into plastics, which leach into our food and skin, or the rash of microplastics intertwined in our soil, waterways and even our meat and vegetables.
But recently, I finally came to the realization that my excuses were poor ones. No, I can’t fix our existential global plastics problem, but I do, in fact, have the power to control it in my own home. Not just the power, but the responsibility, for the health of my family. So I decided to start in the kitchen.
Ahead, I’m breaking down exactly what I swapped, what it cost, and what sort of effort it took to ditch plastic in my kitchen for less than $200.
The Swaps
I started in the kitchen because it felt the most urgent. It’s an obvious place where plastics transfer directly into our bodies. I also thought it would be the easiest, though I soon found plastic lurking in more places than I’d imagined — not just with conspicuous items like utensils, cutting boards and storage containers, but also in single-use coffee pods, tea bags, sponges, nonstick pans, cleaning products and even inside a can of soup.
After tackling each of these, here’s where I succeeded… and failed.
Pots and Pans
I had already dodged the bullet for one of the most serious culprits: non-stick cookware coated with Teflon and its PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) derivates, which can release thousands of micro- and nanoplastic particles into food. Many also contain PFAS, aka forever chemicals.
Note: Some argue that Teflon pans are only harmful when used improperly. In theory, that could be true, but from what I’ve seen, they’re always misused. Once they’re scratched, or exposed to high heat (like to boil water or sear a steak), they’re known to be unsafe.
Luckily, I didn’t have to buy anything new in this department. For years, I’ve cooked primarily with cast iron, stainless steel and glass. But had I not, I would have hit thrift stores and garage sales to find them. Even a 50-year-old rusty cast iron pan can be brought back to life in a few minutes.
My cost: $0 (but I was lucky to already have them)
My exception: I do have a couple of ceramic nonstick pans. These are touted as being a chemically safe alternative to Teflon… but who knows. I’ve recently read that some of them secretly contain teflon, or other chemicals that could be unsafe once the pan gets scratched or the coating starts to break down. So I rarely use these pans anymore. Why risk it?
What I learned: Years ago, when I made the swap from nonstick to cast iron, it took a bit of getting used to. For example, to keep food from sticking, it’s best to fully heat up cast iron before putting anything in it. But now that I’m used to it, I prefer the way cast iron cooks food.
Spatulas
I already had a metal spatula with a wooden handle, for use in our cast iron pans. But, I still had a couple of plastic ones for the ceramic skillets. One was made from black plastic, which is particularly problematic, as those typically contain recycled electronics.
My other spatula was made from silicone. While this material has a reputation for being safer, it can still shed microplastics and leach chemicals, plus it ultimately contributes to plastic pollution in the landfill.
My solution: I first tried using a wooden spatula, which had been in my kitchen drawer for years. It was the kind that comes with those prepackaged sets of wooden utensils. But, its lifting edge was too thick to effectively flip delicate foods like eggs, plus it didn’t scrape under encrusted items very well. Then I found these two on Amazon, which are made of teak (the black “handle” is just stain). I adore them.
- Cost for wooden spatulas: $10
My exception: Okay, I’ll admit to it. We still have that gray silicone spatula, too. I don’t use it, but my partner won’t give it up, because he prefers its wider base and slightly thinner lip.
What I learned: I absolutely love cooking with my wooden spatulas, so much so that I often even use them in the cast iron pans. They just feel nice, plus they have a sort of elegant, inviting look to them.
Other Utensils
I didn’t get rid of anything on which the plastic was limited to the handle, like my potato peeler and masher. I didn’t see any sense in creating excess waste and spending cash on replacing items that weren’t directly touching food. I also already had wooden cooking and mixing spoons, so again, no cost there. But if you’re making the switch, you can find a decent set for about $10.
What I did switch out were tongs and measuring cups. We already had a pair of metal tongs for the grill, but I found this set of two walnut tongs for $24. You can buy them for less than half of that from other retailers, but I specifically picked these for their sharpened tips, which are thin enough to scrape under food.
I also got this set of Oxo stainless measuring cups and spoons. They do have a blip of plastic on the handle, but whatever. Close enough. There are also some nice larger glass measurers for under $10.
- Cost for tongs: $24
- Cost for measuring cups and spoons: $38
What I learned: It took a few practice runs to get proficient with the tongs, but now that I’m used to them, I prefer their precision to that of metal. They don’t work well with heavy or wide items, like burgers, but they’re perfect for flipping mushroom caps in a skillet or stir-frying veggies.
Cutting Board
There are now plant-based alternatives that emulate the feel of plastic cutting boards, but I prefer using wood. The USDA says wood is safe to use for meat, too, but recommends separate boards for meat and veggies. While cutting boards can run into the hundreds of dollars, but I’ve been happy with these teak ones. I’ve also used bamboo, and like those, too.
- Cost for two cutting boards: $40.
What I learned: Thin wood cutting boards are a lot more affordable, but less durable than thicker ones. To get the longest life from them, store them upright so they can dry without warping, and oil them periodically to keep them from splitting.
Food Storage
It wasn’t too expensive to swap out all of my plastic leftover containers for glass ones. This set at Walmart is a particularly good deal, especially for 15 of them. Yes, they have plastic lids, but at least they’re BPA-free. And I think they’re safe enough, since the food is sitting in the glass, not the plastic. But, for a more purist container, you can swing for one with a bamboo lid.
As for replacements for plastic wrap and freezer/sandwich bags, I highly recommend these (theoretically) compostable bags, which are also freezer safe (but cost more than plastic ones). I’ve also tried beeswax wraps and reusable linen, and they’re nice. But to save money, I still try to put most things in glass storage containers.
- Cost for glass storage container set: $28
- Cost for plastic-free freezer bags: $14
What I learned: I actually often just end up reusing old pasta sauce and mason jars for leftovers. In many cases, I find them more convenient and secure, especially for soups. If you don’t care about stacking leftover containers in the fridge, then this option is free.
My exceptions: I still keep a pack of Ziplock bags around, for when I forget to order the compostable ones, and I haven’t yet sprung for compostable trash bags. Also, I don’t bother to move most items out of their in-store plastic packaging, like berries and milk, though that would be ideal.
Food and Drinks
Here’s where this experiment reaches an impasse. Much of the food we buy is contained in plastic. Even the liners of many aluminum beverage and steel food cans are lined with the stuff.
My imperfect solution: I try to minimize processed foods (though I’m no champion at it, yet) and choose fresh foods that aren’t wrapped in plastic (when I can find them). I also look for BPA-free cans. And I always check my tea bag labels — since most tea bags are made of plastic!
My exception: We still use a pod-style coffee maker, but we buy the mesh pods that are biodegradable. No idea if they’re truly plastic free, but it makes us feel better, at least. A better solution would be a French press or stovetop percolator, neither of which use any plastic.
Bottled Water
I traded in plastic water bottles for reusable ones quite a while ago. Not only do plastic bottles cost more than tap water, roughly two-thirds of bottled water in the US is actually just repackaged tap water. I opted for a vacuum-insulated bottle, which is nice for keeping ice cold.
Note: If you’re worried about the quality of your tap water, check the EWG Tap Water Database, and consider a filter to further remove microplastics in the water supply. A reverse osmosis system is ideal. (We like this one from Waterdrop, but there are less-expensive alternatives, too.) Some water pitcher models also remove a large number of microplastics.
- Cost for a reusable water bottle: $12
Cleaning Products
This is where I kind of lost interest. Yes, you can replace all of your plastic cleaning bottles with refillable ones, and get plant-based sponges and bamboo dish brushes (the Plastic Pollution Coalition recommends Blueland, Zero Waste Store and Meliora Cleaning Products). Tackling all of this would be great, especially to curb plastic pollution, and I hope to someday get to it.
But, in the meantime, I did get some Swedish dishcloths, which are made from cellulose and cotton, and ditched the dishwasher pods (which are wrapped in plastic) for powdered detergent.
- Cost for Swedish dishcloth: $7
What I learned: There’s a lot of plastic under my sink!
The Verdict on Swapping out Kitchen Plastic
Going into this project, I believed it would be a straightforward task. I already had the correct cookware, wooden spoons, a reusable water bottle, and even canvas shopping bags.
And all of that helped. The total cost was a reasonable $177.
But, the time and effort to research replacement items was a bit more than I initially imagined. This lead me to reconsider my approach, to prevent feeling overwhelmed. Instead of ditching every bit of plastic in my kitchen, I embraced the 80/20 rule, which I’d learned from Stephanie Miller of Zero Waste in DC. The essence of her strategy is this: to create changes that will stick through the challenges of everyday life, don’t focus on 100% perfection, but rather on the 80% of changes that can make the biggest difference. That ended up being a key bit of advice toward success.
I also thought I might miss some of my plastic kitchenwares, but I don’t. Most of the non-plastic ones work just as well or better — plus when I use them, I’m not cringing, thinking about what might be going into my food.
That feels genuinely good. And even better for my soul is that now, when I walk into my kitchen, I know I’ve at least made an effort to reduce the amount of plastics getting into my family’s bodies, and the environment — and that’s empowering, especially in today’s world where many of us struggle with feelings of helplessness.
All in all, the project was absolutely worth the effort. But, it did open a sort of Pandora’s box. Once I started hunting down plastics in the kitchen, I started seeing them everywhere else: in our carpets, our clothes, our furniture cushions, and even our bedspread.
So hey, rest of my the house, I’m coming for you next!
I’ll let you know how it goes.
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