15 Sustainable Kitchen Gifts

15 Sustainable Kitchen Gifts

15 Sustainable Kitchen Gifts

BY TEAM AVA
DECEMBER 20, 2019

Caring about the environment is so important to people. As we try to change our lifestyles to be more environmentally conscious, giving gifts during the holiday season can be difficult, especially if you want to find the appropriate eco-friendly ones. As brands become more eco-friendly, the AVA family decided to put together some must-have ethical kitchen gifts for this and any holiday season. All these products were chosen to help live as waste-free as possible.

1. Canvas Bag: Canadians used 15 million plastic bags every year. A cotton-tote shopping bag is a number one must have alternative. It is perfect to carry around since they can fold up and be stored in your purse or backpack. You can say no to the plastic bag and fill your own tote instead. Totes are durable, reusable and can be easily washed. They come in all sizes, shapes and designs. They are perfect for any occasion. Here’s one of my particular favourites of the Vancouver sky line.  Vancouver Tote Bag

2. Mesh Grocery Bags: Were you ever that person who used to take single-use plastic produce bags for all your vegetables and fruits when shopping? At home you would be left with multiple plastic bags that you would have no use for again. Switching to mesh grocery bags are a wonderful alternative to plastic produce bags. Not only are they reusable but these organic cotton bags separate your fresh produce and keep your fridge organized. Organic Cotton Produce Bags

 
3. Glass Jars: These are great alternatives for storage. Having clear glass containers helps organize your pantry and you can see exactly what is in each and how much you have left. It allows you to buy bulk when shopping so you can fill up your jars instead of buying packaged goods. They are perfect for dry good storage, leftovers or any type of liquid storage as well. Glass Jars
 
4. Beeswax Wrap: Try switching out the plastic baggie and aluminum paper for beeswax paper. It is perfect to wrap up a sandwich or put over an unfinished bowl of food. Beeswax paper is easily transportable, adhesive and breathable to keep food fresher for longer. Beeswax wrap is a zero-waste product since it is biodegradable and compostable. Beeswax Wrap
5. AVA Byte Smart Garden: The AVA Byte is an Automated Vertical Agricultural growing device. The AVA Byte is an indoor garden that is so simple and smart. It functions without soil or sunlight. This device is the perfect addition to your kitchen. With minimal effort you can have fresh ingredients without leaving your house. The AVA smart garden has a built-in watering system, LED lights, a time lapse camera and is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Best yet, you can download our app and have push notification updates throughout the growing experience, such as when to refill the water container, when to prune and harvest your crop. The pods are biodegradable and the packaging compostable.
6. Bamboo Utensils & Bowls: Wood is sturdy and lasts for years. It does not conduct heat and will not react badly with your food. Bamboo utensils are a lighter alternative to steel and more eco friendly than single-use plastic. You could also use a wooden bowl as an alternative to ceramic or glass. They are easily transportable for picnics, traveling or camping. Bamboo Utensils & Bamboo Bowls
7. Homemade Soap: Can be used as an alternative to your typical liquid soaps. Not only can you get homemade soaps that come with no packaging, but making soap bars at home are a great weekend craft to do with friends and family. Homemade Soap 
8. Plant Based Cleaning Utensils:  Some alternatives to the classic sponges are these plant-based sponges. Natural dish brushes with replaceable heads, wooden pot scrapers, copper scrubbers, loofahs or rags are all preferable to disposable products. Sponges are full of bacteria are suppose to be used for 2 weeks at a time only, thats a lot of waste. The Loofah is actually a vegetable, made from dried and skinned squash. They are the perfect kitchen sponge, scrapper or can be used in the shower Cleaning Brush and Plant-Based Sponge
 
9. Fair-trade cotton towel: You really do not need to use paper towels to clean up a mess or to dry a dish. Cotton towels can be used multiple times instead, washed over and over again and do last a long time. Cotton Towel
10. Metal Straw: Plastic straws are awful. It is the 11th most commonly found trash item in the ocean. Having a go-to metal straw that you carry for smoothies or cold beverages when you are out of the house avoids ever having to toss out a plastic straw again. Stainless Steel Straw
11. Glass lunch containers: The perfect alternative when grabbing a takeout, when packing a lunch or storing food. Snapware containers are multifunctional that can be frozen, heated up and put in the oven. Glass Containers
12. Refillable Water Bottle: An incredible easy habit to make part of your routine. Bring your reusable water bottle everywhere you go, keep yourself hydrated and avoid having to buy unnecessary plastic bottled drinks throughout the day.  Saving the environment and your pocket book at the same time. Swell Bottle
13. French Press Coffee Maker: Opt for making your coffee at home using a french press. No need for plastic single serve coffee pods. Just a simple glass and steel french press, add some hot water and you have great fresh brewed coffee. French Press
14. Take-Away Coffee Cup or Thermos: Almost 500 billion disposable cups are tossed out every year and since they are lined with plastic they cannot be recycled. Bringing your own cup or thermos avoids creating garbage and allows you to even get discounts at certain coffee shops. Take-away mug
15. Stainless Steel Ice Tray: A great alternative to having those flimsy plastic trays molds is a sturdy stainless steel one. A one-time investment that will not crack can stand the test of time. Stainless Steel Ice Tray
Gift Wrap Alternatives: Consider using a roll of craft paper which is biodegradable, old newspaper or magazines, DIY fabric, reusable tote bags to wrap any gifts this year. Canadians alone will throw out 100,000 elephants worth of wrapping paper !! To break it down, after each holiday season we are throwing out 540,000 tonnes of paper, 3000 tonnes of foil, 2.6 billion Christmas cards and 6 million rolls of tape.
Featured Image by: Lauren Singer

The AVA Byte is the world’s smartest garden. The AVA Byte technology paired with our flavourful pod pack that uses water to grow.  AVA provides the fastest, healthiest, and most successful growth rate. This urban agricultural experience integrates Ai software with a sleek design making the AVA Byte unique of its kind.

Reserve Your  AVA Byte Smart Garden. 

Learn more about us, to discover why you should get growing with a smart indoor garden, how it helps save you money in an urban city, and makes your life better. Looking to start an indoor garden or bring up your productivity during WFH trying to find more ways to get sustainable at home and in the kitchen take a read of our blog.

PREVIOUS
NEXT
Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.