ECO KITCHEN PRODUCTS

Make your home more eco-friendly by swapping three household items with more sustainable options

Compostable sponges and cloths You can buy packs or rolls of absorbent cloths for wiping up spills and cleaning kitchens. These can be washed until they start to disintegrate, then can be composted at the end of their life. Washing them in the dishwasher rather than a washing machine can help keep them going for longer, too. You can also buy sponges with textured scrubber sides made from natural fibres like jute, coconut or luffa for getting rid of tough deposits. You could even try growing your own luffa – they’re a type of gourd and grow like cucumbers (the young gourds can be eaten). In all cases, make sure your sponge is clean when you compost it, otherwise you might add chemicals that aren’t compost-friendly.

Reusable coffee filters

If you’re a fan of pour-over coffee, then filters are likely to be a waste product, though some are compostable. You can buy a stainless steel filter that works well – these allow more oils and some sediment through to give a stronger flavour than paper. Choose one with a fine mesh. A cloth filter gets you a step closer to paper, but it needs to be looked after – they’re the filter of choice in many countries but not widely used in the UK. Cloth filters need to be kept clean and damp – store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer to stop them smelling stale. You can find one to fit your dripper at specialist coffee suppliers.

Drain sticks

Simply drop these sticks down your plughole, and the bacteria and enzymes they’re made with will break down grease, soap scum and other substances. Another bonus is that they keep drains remarkably odour-free. We tested the Ecozone brand, which comes in a pack of 12 – that’s one for each month of the year. Though if you do a lot of cooking, you might want to use one more often.