Transitioning to a sustainable kitchen isn’t easy, but it can be done with a few thoughtful lifestyle tweaks. Whether it’s investing in a compost bin that you actually like in your kitchen, or replacing your plastic Tupperware with sustainable glass food storage, there are simple steps you can take to have a more sustainable kitchen.
One easy way is vowing to ditch wasteful paper towels in favor of sustainable alternatives like cloth towels and linen napkins. To help, we’ve rounded up a collection of 12 sustainable (and beautiful) alternatives to paper towels that your kitchen needs.
1 A collection of basic microfiber cleaning cloths
If you’re trying to transition to sustainable paper towel alternatives, these microfiber cleaning cloths are the everyday towel you’ll reach for. Use them for spills, messes, cleaning, and countertops. Plus, they’re small enough to store almost anywhere.
2 Reusable Beeswax Wrap
Use this wrap to store avocado halves, lemons, fresh cheese, herbs and more. Hand wash in cold water with alcohol-free dish soap and hang to dry.
3 Unpaper Towels
Use these unpaper towels for everything from wiping up spills to drying hands to cleaning. Plus, they’re machine washable.
4 Chambray napkins
For those evenings when you want something a bit more upscale than a microfiber cloth, these linen chambray napkins will do the trick. Though they aren’t the alternative you’ll turn to for a big spill, they’re attractive enough to keep out for guests, and sustainable so you’ll get your money’s worth from them time and time again.
5 Pop-up sponges
Instead of using paper towels to wipe down greasy pans and dirty countertops, keep a collection of these pop-up sponges on hand. They take up almost no space, and it’ll easily take you several months (possibly a year) to go through the entire package.
6 Linen and cotton bowl covers
Ban paper and plastic from your kitchen entirely with these reusable linen and cotton bowl covers. They have stretchy elastic, so they’ll fit around just about any pot or bowl size so you can protect your leftovers and produce.
7 Huck towels
Huck towels are made with low-lint cotton, but are extremely durable. They’re typically used in surgical instrument sterilization but they’re ideal for any task where you need a reusable, sturdy towel.
8 Linen bread bags
Protect your fresh dough from the elements with these reusable linen bread bags. They keep bread fresher for longer periods of time, and answer the age-old question of how to keep a loaf of crunchy bread fresh for longer than a day or two.
9 Reusable cotton kitchen cloths
These textured kitchen cloths are perfect for capturing tough spills and messes, just like textured paper towels. They’re machine washable, so this 24-pack will practically last a lifetime.
10 Linen cocktail napkins
While you’re at it, swap out all of your paper cocktail napkins for reusable fabric ones. These heirloomed linen napkins are gorgeous enough to upgrade any bar or bar cart.
11 Reusable sandwich wraps
Ditch paper towels and plastic baggies for these reusable sandwich wraps perfect for every lunches. You can either wipe them clean, or machine wash and air dry.
12 Everyday cotton napkins
You’ll want some basic cotton napkins for everyday use, whether it’s counter wipe-downs, small messes or just for lap protection during dinner. These cotton napkins are versatile enough for guests or everyday use.
