12 Must Have Kitchen Products for a More Eco-friendly Life

12 Must Have Kitchen Products for a More Eco-friendly Life – [Updated – May 2025]

Making the switch to more eco-friendly and sustainable products is something I’m sure a lot of us think about.

There are more and more eco-friendly swaps on the market at great prices making them more accessible than ever.

So, today I wanted to share some of my top kitchen product finds that are perfect for leading a more sustainable lifestyle that’s good for the planet.

Having made the switch myself I love how well these products work as well as knowing I’m being more conscious of the products we use in the house.

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12 Must Have Kitchen Products for a More Eco-friendly Life

1. Eco-Friendly Sponges and Cloths

Washing up and cleaning down surfaces is a task I’m sure a lot of us do daily from doing the dishes to wiping down countertops.

It’s a universal task that people do around the world daily, so making the switch to more sustainable products just makes sense.

This helps us cut down on waste that ends up in landfill and is harmful to the planet.

Those green and yellow sponges we use for doing dishes have plastic in them, so finding a sustainable swap was a top priority in my mission to make our kitchen as eco-friendly as possible.

We use the likes of Natural multipurpose sponges and Biodegradable sponge cloths to make sure we are keeping our waste to a minimum.

I highly recommend making the switch!

Here are my top recommendations for sponges and clothes –

• ZERO WASTE WORLD Natural sponge
• Green Dodo Swedish Dishcloth 10 Pack
• Deepklean 12 Pack Microfibre Cleaning Cloth
• Epically Eco | 100% Biodegradable and Compostable Washing up Sponge

2. Dish Brush

Making the swap to sustainable dish brushes has been a game changer!

I love scrubbing dishes and the pots with naturally made brushes because they feel so good to use.

If you’re like me and need that feeling of them getting into every nook and cranny, then these are a great swap to the alternative plastic ones you get in shops.

Not only do they work well, they are also 100% recyclable and you can get replacement heads!

I highly recommend getting yourself some bamboo or wood dish brushes because I’m confident you’ll love them.

Here are my top recommendations for Dish Brushes –

• Washing Up Brushes Eco Dish
• MASTERTOP Eco Dish Brush Set
• Vove | Eco Bamboo Dish Brush

3. Wooden/Bamboo Utensils For Cooking

As someone who loves to cook, making the swap to wooden and bamboo cooking utensils has been one swap that I’m 100% glad I did.

They are far superior to the plastic alternatives that you get as the quality is 100x better.

Not only are they sustainable and cut out plastic waste when those flimsy ones break or melt (and they always do!) they are high quality and feel great to use.

I highly recommend making the switch yourself.

Here are my top recommendations for eco-friendly utensils for cooking –

• Joejis 6 Bamboo Wooden Kitchen Utensils for Cooking
• Wooden Kitchen Utensil Set 11 Pcs
• A&M Natural Living Wooden Kitchen Utensils Set of 7 for Cooking

4. Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

When I was making the swap to more eco-friendly products in the kitchen I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to find alternatives to cleaning products.

I knew there were lots on the market, but I had no idea where to start.

Thankfully I worked with Smol last year in trying out some of their products and although there were a few that didn’t quite live up to my expectations, it did help me make that swap for good.

From there I went on a mission to find more sustainable options for cleaning products and came across the likes of Method and OceanSaver.

We’ve been using their products for months now and I swear by them!

Here are my top recommendations for Cleaning Products –

• Ecozone Tough Degreaser Kitchen Cleaner Spray
• OceanSaver Multi-Purpose All Surface Cleaner
• Ecozone Anti-Bacterial Multi-Surface Wipes
• Method Multi Surface Cleaner Concentrate

5. Beeswax Food Wraps

Using the likes of cling film or plastic sandwich bags have been used throughout households for decades, but they aren’t the most sustainable are they?

They are made using non-renewable resources and a lot of the time they can’t be recycled so they end up in landfill.

That’s why we have made the switch to using beeswax food wraps.

These food wraps are a great eco-friendly choice as they are reusable, made from natural materials and can be recycled or composted!

I LOVE using them now and little bear enjoys seeing which pattern he has in his lunch box each day.

We have 7 different designs we use, all in different sizes and I could never imagine going back to using the plastic bags or cling film ever again.

Here are my top recommendations for beeswax food wraps –

• Trifecta Living Co. Versatile Beeswax Wraps
• Beeswax Wraps Set of 8
• Beeswax Wraps

6. Lunch Boxes

Lunch boxes are a staple in our house.

With a picky eater on my hands and a fiancé who also has an aversion to multiple foods, taking a packed lunch or snacks with us on days out is a must.

Having sustainable lunch boxes means we can take our food on the go with ease and I know we are doing our bit for the planet.

There are so many on the market these days that are made from recycled materials, bamboo, wood and more, so there is plenty of choice!

I highly recommend investing in one or a few for the house. They are perfect for days out, taking to work, school, college etc.

Here are my top recommendations for sustainable lunch boxes –

• EOIMS Bento Box Lunch Box
• Alta Scelta Eco Friendly Lunch Box
• Alta Scelta Reusable Eco Friendly Leakproof Stackable Lunch Box
• Sinnsally Lunch Box

7. Wooden/Bamboo Dinnerware

This is a swap that we have only recently made in our kitchen but I’m oh so glad that we did.

For some reason we have horrible luck with dinnerware in our house with a plate or bowl breaking every month.

It was getting tedious having to go out and buy just one bowl or plate, and we ended up with a miss-matched set. So, we decided to make the change to bamboo dinnerware to cut out all the extra work and reduce our waste.

Making this change has been one of the best so far as not once have we had any broken plates or bowls since using them!

And although we still have our previous ceramic dinnerware (no use in throwing them out if they still work) we find ourselves reaching for the bamboo ones all the time.

It’s a change I highly recommend!

Here are my top recommendations for wooden/bamboo dinnerware –

• LEKOCH 16-Piece Bamboo Dinnerware Set
• Earth’s Dreams Reusable Bamboo Fiber Tableware Dinnerware Set

8. Eco-Friendly Straws

Straws are a kitchen staple aren’t they?

I personally don’t know anyone who doesn’t have some in their house stashed about somewhere.

We have been using reusable straws for years now, way before the ban on single use plastic straws came into play in the UK and I genuinely couldn’t be without them.

There are so many different kinds on the market now from metal straws to glass ones, they have them in all kinds of materials!

Using reusable straws just makes sense and they are super handy for travelling as well.

If you haven’t already made the swap yet, or haven’t invested in any, then I highly suggest you do.

Here are my top recommendations for eco-friendly straws –

• Joie Kitchen Gadgets Iridescent 6pc Straw
• AniSqui Set of 8 Reusable Metal Straws and Cleaner
• Set of 10 Metal Straws Drinking

9. Wooden/Bamboo Chopping Board

Wooden chopping boards are another staple in our house that we have been using ever since I was a child.

Growing up my gran always drummed it into me to buy wooden or bamboo chopping boards.

Wooden chopping boards are the best because they are durable and easy on knives which cuts down on accidental slips. They are also firm yet are able to absorb shocks when being used.

These kinds of cutting boards are also great because they last a very long time and are more often than not made from natural, recyclable materials.

With wooden or bamboo chopping boards you don’t have to worry about any plastics and will last far longer than any other plastic alternative.

Here are my top recommendations for wooden/bamboo chopping boards –

• Chopping Boards for Kitchen – Bamboo Chopping Board Set of 3
• NIUXX Organic Bamboo Cutting Board for Kitchen
• Premium Organic Bamboo Wooden Chopping Board

10. Glass Food Containers

Food storage containers are another staple in multiple homes across the globe.

They are used daily for all sorts of things such as meal prep, storing leftovers and housing snacks for on the go.

With them being so popular around the world, making the switch to a more sustainable option is a great way to make your kitchen more eco-friendly.

Glass containers are a great alternative to plastic ones as they are made from natural materials, non-porous, can be used in microwaves and dishwashers as it’s safe to use at all temperatures, and they are durable.

I can’t recommend switching to glass containers enough!

Here are my top recommendations for glass food containers –

• Amazon Basics Airtight Glass Food Storage Container Set
• KICHLY Glass Food Storage Container Set
• Hcrvvi 2 Pcs 520ml Food Storage Glass Containers With Lids

11. Bamboo Hot Mats

Having hot mats on hand is so convenient!

I genuinely don’t know what I would do without out set because they come in useful for so many different things.

A hot plate just out of the microwave? I use a hot mat.

Just baked cupcakes and now need to leave the tray to cool? I use a hot mat.

When I’ve got a burning hot pot that I need to get off the stove to make room for others? I use a hot mat.

As you can see, I use a hot mat for so many different reasons as they come in very handy. They are perfect for protecting worktops from hot pans, trays plates etc.

And of course my hot mats have to be made from bamboo because not only are they durable, they are sustainable. So, definitely invest in some, they are a game changer.

Here are my top recommendations for bamboo hot mats –

• CherryTreeHouse: Expanding Bamboo Trivet Hot Mat
• Efbock Bamboo Trivet, Home Kitchen Bamboo Hot Pads
• G-like 4 Piece Bamboo Trivet – Home Kitchen Multifunction Bamboo Heat Resistant Pads

12. Bamboo Travel Cutlery

Last but by no means on the list is bamboo travel cutlery!

As I am being more conscious about kitchen ware being sustainable it only make sense that I invested in some travel cutlery that I can pop in my bag and carry around with me.

This helps to cut down on those disposable single use plastic cutlery sets you get in the likes of canteens with meals that all end up in landfill.

Having the likes of a bamboo travel cutlery set is a great way to be a bit more conscious of the single use plastics you are using.

Here are my top recommendations for bamboo travel cutlery –

• Bamboo Cutlery Set
• Nuoshen Bamboo Cutlery Set
• Bamboo Cutlery Set | Eco Cutlery Set

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