The Zero Waste Collective's 2018 Holiday Gift Guide for Zero Waste in the Kitchen and Cleaning
Disclosure: Please note that this post has been sponsored in paid partnership with the companies participating in this gift guide. This post contains affiliate links. All photography has been provided by each company unless otherwise noted.
In the Kitchen
The kitchen is typically a huge source of waste. Once we look through a new lens, the lens of our over-packaged society, you won’t walk through the grocery store the same way again! With plastic and cardboard and metals (oh my!) lining the aisles, there are very few items that we take home to our kitchen that aren't packaged. We even choose to place unpackaged produce in plastic! Why? Because it’s convenient. Then we get home and toss out all of the packaging without much thought (unless of course you're already going zero waste!).
Although the transition to zero waste grocery shopping may seem challenging, there are so many simple and easy switches we can make that can significantly reduce our impact. If you’re looking to make some of these zero waste swaps, The Zero Waste Collective’s Holiday Gift Guide has fantastic options below for reducing waste in the kitchen! Perfect for you and your family, as well as loved ones and friends whom you might be trying to get on board with low waste living.
Cleaning
Ever feel overwhelmed by all of the cleaning supplies you have? Perhaps you have a bottle of cleaning solution for every task in your home? This has probably resulted in a lot of plastic bottles. Not to mention, you're probably cleaning with disposable sponges, paper towels, etc. (at least, I know I used to!). Everything tends to be disposable, and not compostable. Even doing laundry comes with trash! Dryer sheets, anyone? Luckily, there are zero waste swaps for all of these sources of trash, and The Zero Waste Collective has curated some of the best options below!
If you’ve got some gifts to buy this holiday season, you’re all set with these innovative, sustainable and passionate companies that care about our planet.
The Edgy Moose
There are many ways to reduce waste in your kitchen, and these beautiful bowl covers designed and handmade by The Edgy Moose are no exception! There's no need for plastic wrap or tin foil when you can use these instead. These help you to avoid waste and save money!
The Edgy Moose offers a variety of sizes for bowl covers made from organic cotton. The designs are unique and beautiful, and you can choose either waxed or unwaxed bowl covers (the waxed option is made from beeswax). They are handmade in British Columbia, Canada.
These bowl covers from The Edgy Moose are the perfect plastic-free addition to your home, and ideal as gifts for family and friends. International Shipping is available. International orders must be made by November 15th if you need delivery in time for Christmas.
The Edgy Moose: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Goldilocks Wraps
Goldilocks Wraps are an all-natural and eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap. A reusable beeswax food wrap, each one of their wraps is handmade with love in Victoria, BC, Canada, using locally sourced beeswax. Each wrap is held to the highest of quality standards and infused with an extra dose of love. Plus, Goldilocks Wraps has some really cool patterns that everyone will love! Their goal is to create something that is both beautiful and practical.
Goldilocks Wraps are perfect to preserve food, such as cut fruit and veggies, cheese that has been opened, as well as storing herbs and lettuce. Useful in the kitchen to store food, or to wrap food for on the go! They can be conveniently folded into different shapes that meet your needs for different foods of varying sizes.
Looking to make some zero waste swaps in your kitchen? Then definitely check out Goldilocks beeswax wraps! Perfect for your kitchen, or as a gift for family and friends.
Use the discount code ZEROWASTE15 for 15% off your order! International is shipping available.
Goldilocks Wraps: Website | Instagram | Facebook
(Photography by Rachael Alexandra)
Dans le Sac
Dans le Sac was launched to inspire change, and to make protecting the environment an everyday lifestyle. Dans le Sac offers a variety of reusable bags that make zero waste possible, including: bread bags, bulk bags, and tote bags! Made from 100% cotton sourced in the US, these bags are all made in Quebec, Canada.
We are surrounded by disposable plastic bags on a daily basis. There are plastic bags for shopping, produce, bulk foods, fruit, veggies, and more. But we don’t have to buy into all of this plastic! Use Dans le Sac bread bags to buy fresh bread from your local bakery, or the bakery section at the grocery store. Throw your reusable bulk bags in your tote bag and head to the bulk foods section and fill up without plastic! You can even use the bulk bags to corral all of your loose fruit and veggies.
Reusable bags are an easy and convenient way to reduce your environmental footprint. Stock up on some for yourself, or get others on board with zero waste by getting these as gifts for friends and loved ones. Dans le Sac will be releasing their holiday collection on November 12th! International shipping is available.
Dans le Sac: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Wine Punts
Wine Punts is dedicated to improving the environment by recycling tens of thousands of wine and other bottles each year that would otherwise overflow in landfills. Wine Punts offers a variety of drink ware and home decor including: glasses, carafes, canisters, candles, and vases. Their products are handmade in Colorado Springs and individually inspected to ensure the highest quality of each piece.
If you’re getting into zero waste grocery shopping with your reusable bags and containers, you may want to display your bulk foods in your home. Looking for the perfect way to do that? With Wine Punts canisters! They are an aesthetically pleasing way to show off your low waste lifestyle.
Perfect for all tastes and styles, Wine Punts are a sustainable addition to anyone's home. Wine Punts partners with hotels, restaurants and businesses to collect used wine bottles for repurposing. Buy some for yourself, or as a gift, and know that you’re supporting a circular economy!
Use the discount code ZEROWASTE20 for 20% off your order! International shipping is available.
Wine Punts: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Miyabi Charcoal
Drinking tap water instead of bottled water is the perfect way to reduce unnecessary waste and plastic consumption. But perhaps your tap water just doesn't taste quite right? That's where Miyabi Charcoal comes in!
Miyabi Charcoal, made from Japanese bamboo, removes impurities and improves tap water taste. Tests indicate that bamboo charcoal, when used to purify water, removes chlorine, chloride, phosphorus, ammonia, toluene (alcohol), nitrogen, chloramine (ammonia and chlorine compound added to water to kill pathogens), and even toxins like pesticides that can seep into tap water. When you’re done with them, they can be composted or placed directly in your garden, leaving no waste.
Miyabi Charcoal is perfect for your home or as a gift. International Shipping is available.
Miyabi Charcoal: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Timber Child
Timber Child is a family-run business that handcrafts beautiful wooden plates and toys in British Columbia, Canada. These are all natural, and nontoxic! Perfect for a plastic-free lifestyle, and living plastic-free with kids. The plates come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including: mountain, hippo, moose, duck, unicorn, and many more.
Timber Child’s products are made from sustainable Canadian Maple Wood. There is absolutely no glue, PVC, melamine, plastics, mineral oil or toxic finishes used, making them safe to use. They are cured in Canadian food-grade organic hemp seed oil and local beeswax. They are perfect for indoor or outdoor use and perfect for camping trips!
These wooden plates make a perfect addition to your home, or as a gift. They can be personalized as well! Be sure to order your plates quickly if you’re purchasing for the holidays, as these are completely custom orders. Timber Child typically ships internationally, however, the cutoff date was November 1st for international shipments for delivery by Christmas. The exception is any orders to the US: November 7th is the cutoff date. Cut off date for Canadian orders is November 10th.
Discount code: ZEROWASTE20 for 20% off your order!
Timber Child: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Dalcini Stainless
Dalcini Stainless is an award-winning brand of high quality, chemical-free and eco-friendly containers and house wares. Nita Tandon created and launched Dalcini Stainless when she couldn’t find easy-to-clean containers, free from hormone-disrupting chemicals like BPA. She needed them to be simple for young children, with plenty of style for the adults in the home too. Dalcini Stainless containers are easy-to-use, clean and store. No mess, no fuss, and no nasty chemicals.
Dalcini Stainless offers containers in all shapes and sizes that are perfect for food storage, packing leftovers, and beautifully displaying delicious food at dinner parties. Dalcini Stainless has the perfect house wares for all your food needs, including containers, cups, straws, bowls and sectioned plates. What more could you ask for?
Chemical-free, thoughtful design, and ethical manufacturing make Dalcini Stainless the perfect choice for stainless steel house wares in your home, or as gifts. These containers are safe, sustainable, and simple. International shipping is available.
Dalcini Stainless: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Ten and Co.
Have you considered ditching paper towel in your household? It’s a hard one for many people to let go of, but Ten and Co. has such stylish Swedish Sponge Cloths that you’ll want to make the swap ASAP! They are made from cellulose (wood pulp) and cotton, so they’re biodegradable and eco-friendly. Ten and Co.’s Swedish Sponge Cloths are designed in Canada, and made in Sweden, printed with water-based, eco friendly dyes.
Swedish Sponge Cloths may look small, but they are far more absorbent than any paper towel you’ll find on the market. They can absorb 15x (approx 3.4 cup) their own weight in liquid! Plus, they’re soft to the touch and last at least a year if cared for! You’ll save money, and avoid throwing out paper towels everyday. They are perfect for your kitchen, but also useful for cleaning around the house, office, or car.
If you’ve got a mess, Ten and Co. dishcloths can wipe it up! The cloth is naturally anti-bacterial because it’s quick to dry, and can be washed in the dishwasher or washing machine (don’t use in the dryer). Reduce plastic packaging and excess waste in landfills from paper towels and make the switch to Swedish Sponge Cloths. Get others on board and buy these as gifts, they make an easy and unique hostess gift; perfect to have on hand for the holidays! International shipping is available.
Use the discount code ZWC20 for 20% off your first order!
Ten and Co.: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Cleaning Essentials
Cleaning Essentials is a family business run by Martha and Mike, who are both passionate about creating natural cleaning products. They have three children, so providing a safe home environment for the whole family is integral to their healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Their products are effective, smell great, safe for kids, and are made in the USA.
Cleaning Essentials offers spray bottles (in blue or amber), and a glass jar of reusable wipes. Each comes with a variety of DIY recipes on the bottle using ingredients typically found around your house (e.g. vinegar, olive oil, etc). Cleaning with essential oils is a great alternative to store-bought cleaners because you avoid the harsh chemicals. These chemicals are included in your average household cleaner to kill germs and bacteria. Vinegar and certain essential oils are naturally antibacterial, which make them ideal and safer for including them in your homemade cleaner.
The benefits of making your own household cleaning products are endless: you use natural ingredients, save time, save money, avoid waste, and curb plastic! Perfect for your home, or as a gift for loved ones and friends. Shipping is available via Amazon.com and Amazon.ca and their website (to the US).
Cleaning Essentials: Website | Instagram | Facebook
(Photography by Camilla B Creative Studio)
NaturaPure
Looking to ditch disposable dryer sheets? NaturaPure can help you do that! Based in Canada, NaturaPure is focused on helping people live a waste free and chemical free life. Unfortunately, dryer sheets create waste, and often contain toxic chemicals that can be absorbed into your skin. NaturaPure’s wool dryer balls are handmade from cruelty-free and ethically sourced Canadian wool. Each dryer ball is 100% dye free and eco-friendly.
How do you use them? Simply place all 3 dryer balls into your dryer at the same time. The wool absorbs the moisture while the balls circulate the laundry, reducing drying time by 30-50%! Using NaturaPure’s dryer balls will reduce static and wrinkles from your laundry, replacing fabric softener and dryer sheets.
Going zero waste may seem like a daunting task, but with products like NaturaPure’s wool dryer balls, zero waste is actually easier and less expensive. Perfect for your laundry room, or as a gift for loved ones and friends. International shipping is available.