Easy plastic-free kitchen swaps for Australian homes

You don't need a new kitchen to use less plastic. You need to swap the handful of things you throw away every week. Start there, then replace everything else as it wears out. Everything you need. And nothing you don't.

Swap 1: Cling film

Cling film is single-use by design, and most of us use it daily. ZERO cling wrap stretches and clings like the film you're used to, but it's made from bioplastic: mainly PLA made from sugarcane (bagasse), with about 20% PBAT for stretch. It's certified home compostable (DIN CERTCO; TÜV Austria OK compost HOME), so once it's done its job it can go in a home compost, where it breaks down fully to CO2, water and biomass. Available in 30m and 60m rolls, from $6.99.

The box has a detachable cutter blade. The film is so strong that a standard metal cutter bends the box or pulls away, so the blade clips on and off. Remove it before you compost the box. For heating and temperature use, follow the usage guide on the pack.

Swap 2: Zip-lock and sandwich bags

ZERO resealable food storage bags cover snacks, sandwiches, leftovers and freezer portions. They're made from PBAT, corn starch and calcium carbonate, certified home compostable (TÜV Austria OK compost HOME), tested for food contact and freezer-friendly. Snack, sandwich and storage sizes, from $4.99.

Swap 3: Paper towel and sponges

ZERO reusable cleaning cloths are made from timber viscose, a fibre made from wood pulp. They're absorbent and reusable, so they take over wiping benches, mopping up spills and drying hands from a roll of paper towel. Rinse them, hang them to dry fully between uses and wash them regularly. From $11.99.

Swap 4: Disposable cleaning wipes

ZERO cleaning wipes are dry timber viscose wipes. Use them dry or damp with your usual cleaner, and because they're reusable, rinse them out and go again. They're not disinfecting wipes, so use your usual cleaning product where you need to disinfect. From $2.99.

Running a commercial kitchen? The ZERO commercial cleaning cloth ("Blue Roll") is a plant-fibre timber viscose cloth designed with chefs for heavy cleaning. It's certified biodegradable in soil (TÜV Austria OK biodegradable SOIL). You can add it to your home compost too.

Want the lot in one go? The ZERO kitchen family kit and ultimate cleaning bundle put the everyday swaps together.

Food storage habits

• Keep your jars. Passata, jam and peanut butter jars make free storage for pantry staples, leftovers and freezer stock.
• Freeze flat. Portions frozen flat in resealable bags stack like files and thaw faster.
• Wrap cut produce. Half an onion, avocado or lemon keeps better with the cut face wrapped.
• Check the fridge temperature. 5°C or below is the standard food-safety advice.

More in the food storage guide and freezer storage without plastic.

Shopping and pantry

Reducing what comes in the door matters as much as what you swap at home.

• Take your own jars to bulk stores. Weigh them empty first so you only pay for what's inside.
• Ask your butcher or deli to put things straight into your container.
• Choose loose fruit and veg over pre-packed where you can.
• Store dry goods in airtight jars to keep pantry moths and moisture out. Label them and keep the oldest at the front.

Composting what's left

Food scraps are the other half of a low-waste kitchen. Depending on where you live, that could be a backyard compost bin, a worm farm or your council's FOGO bin. Check your council's website for what they accept. ZERO cling wrap and resealable bags are certified home compostable, so they can go in a home compost too, with food scraps brushed off first.

When you're buying compostable products, look for a recognised certification rather than a vague "biodegradable" or "eco" label. In Australia, AS 5810 covers home compostable and AS 4736 covers industrial compostable. Read more in home compostable vs industrial compostable.

Everything else: replace as it wears out

Don't bin plastic containers, utensils or cookware that still work. Throwing out working gear just creates waste now. Use it up, and when something cracks, warps or wears out, replace it with something that will last. Pick one category a month and keep going.

How to make it stick

1. Start with what you throw out most. For most households that's cling film or zip-lock bags.
2. Swap when you run out, not before.
3. Keep the swap where the old thing lived. Cling wrap in the same drawer, cloths where the paper towel used to hang.
4. Add the next swap once the first one is a habit.

If nothing changes, nothing changes. Feels good to do good.

FAQ

What's the easiest plastic swap in the kitchen?

Cling film. It's single-use, you use it daily, and ZERO cling wrap is a straight swap.

Can I compost ZERO cleaning cloths?

ZERO cleaning cloths are made to be reused, so wash them and keep going. The cling wrap and resealable bags are certified home compostable, and the Commercial Cleaning Cloth is certified biodegradable in soil and can go in your home compost too.

Are ZERO cleaning wipes antibacterial?

No. They're dry, reusable timber viscose wipes. Use them with your usual cleaner, and a disinfectant where you need one.

More: Glad Wrap alternatives, Ziploc alternatives and plastic-free lunchbox ideas.