Free and thrifted zero waste kitchen storage ideas
The zero waste movement can be affordable in particular ways. Kitchen storage can involve a very low cost or free zero waste swap.
Store food in jars. Save money, resources and the planet. Image: Pixabay, creative commons, edited.
Reuse jars
Why would you throw away a perfectly reusable container? Guess what. People do this all the time. Glass jars end up in the recycling bin. We cannot even be sure if the jars will become recycled. Instead of tossing glass jars into the recycling bin, we should wash and keep them. If you accumulate more jars than you can use, give some to a person who needs them. Just don't toss them in the trash.
Some jars are more easily repurposed than others. My favourites are the Mayver's peanut butter jars. The label comes of quite easily. I use this sort to store almost anything including soup and cooked rice. Passata jars are useful for the right purposes. Those tall jars almost function like a small vase. I have been keeping my fresh rosemary in washed pasta sauce jars on the kitchen counter. They would also be decent storage for small dry supplies such as legumes and oats.
Be careful when using jars to freeze food. Pick the right shaped container. When pouring liquid, keep a gap at the top. The contents would expand when frozen. Jars may crack if misused. There's a bit of a science to the freezing of liquids.
Find free or thrifted containers
If you're lucky, someone might be getting rid of storage containers. Second hand is the best way to get food containers. A newly made container may be sustainable with the right materials and production methods. Be conscious of what your storage supplies are made of and where they came from.
Materials matter. Steer clear of plastic as much as possible. Ideally look for glass tubs or mason jars. A retro biscuit tin could also be useful. Maybe a metal bread box. See what's around.
Thrift retro containers such as a cookie tin. Give new life to existing resources. Image: Pixabay, creative commons, edited.
Get a used water jug
Everyone will want to hydrate more often if there's a stylish water jug on the table or in the fridge. Get it the eco way by finding a pre-loved one. If it will live in the fridge, it should have a lid. If this is just for dinner time at a table, anything is good.
Second hand shelves, racks and 'lazy Suzan'
Organised storage can be useful in a sustainable lifestyle. When the kitchen is organised, hopefully less food will be wasted. All the supplies will be visible and accessible. Pantry goods shouldn't end up tucked away at the back of the cupboard and forgotten. Old perishing foods wouldn't go old in the corners of the fridge. A few sustainably-sourced supplies could keep the kitchen more organised.
Look around in the usual thrifting spaces (op shops, Facebook Marketplace...) for storage supplies. You could find a rack that divides things in the cupboard. Or get little tubs that bundle things together in the fridge. A 'lazy Suzan' could give more access to the little jars in the pantry. Be minimal but tidy.
Keep the unavoidable plastic 'packaging' containers
I confess, there are some foods I do not make by myself. Plant based yoghurt is one of those things. Maybe I should DIY it. But I don't. And it comes in a plastic container. But there is good news. Yoghurt tubs are great reusable storage options. If you're scared of keeping food in a plastic material, that's ok. Use a packaging tub to store inevitable little things that accumulate around the home.
Keep it minimal and truly useful
We can store our food and kitchen goods in minimal sustainable affordable containers. Choose carefully. These simple choices may bring a positive impact for the world.
Thrift a water jug for a healthy sustainable alternative in the kitchen. Image: Pixabay, creative commons, edited.
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