Zero Waste Kitchen Setup for Small American Apartments: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

A zero waste kitchen setup for small American apartments is entirely achievable even if you’re working with 400 square feet, a single cabinet run, a zero waste kitchen is 100% possible. As you do if you want a no-waste kitchen layout for small apartments in the United States, you’re probably confronted with the same problems as many tenants in this country have: not enough space, no backyard, overly-controlling landlords, and a small budget. The positive news is that you don’t have to do a complete pantry overhaul or renovate your home in order to go zero waste. There are some to-do changes, a certain degree of conscious organization and a change of mind with regards to what you really need to store in your kitchen. It teaches you exactly how to create a “zero waste” kitchen system, step-by-step and with real-world solutions Geared for small American apartments and city life.

The value of Zero Waste kitchen setup for small american apartments.

From food packaging waste to paper towels to single use plastic bags, kitchens create more household waste than just about any other room. That waste issue, further compounded by the lack of space within a small apartment, may prompt such a move. A small zero waste kitchen setup for small american apartments two problems in one – all the trash that you cart out each week, plus a clutter-free kitchen since you’re not storing all of these disposable items you’ll toss after each use.

This also often saves a person money over time, for apartment dwellers in particular. Ultimately, reusable products will be more expensive from the outset but without these products, paper towels, sandwich bags, plastic wrap and even cleaning products are all on the monthly tab — especially in a city apartment budget!

The initial step is to start steadying yourself with an actual inventory.

Don’t go shopping unless you have an inventory of what you already have in your kitchen. Open each drawer and cabinet and divide the contents in three groups: items that are used weekly, items that are used an occasional time and items that have not been used in the last 6 months. Apartments are prone to a buildup of mismatching containers, devices intended for one use only, and many duplicate kitchen tools that can waste a lot of cabinet space.

This is important for a couple of reasons: To successfully compost a small American apartment you need to get rid of trash first, and then you will add reusable products. Only fill the voids in a sustainable way after you’ve already got rid of something you don’t need anymore, either for someone else or for your use.

Swapping out the cores for a Zero Waste Kitchen.

Substitute “paper towels” with cloth towels which can be washed and reused.

One of the largest ongoing items that many kitchens waste would be paper towels. You can replace them with a pile of old t-shirts cut up, bar mop cloths, or unpaper towels and lower the amount of trash going out once a week. If you’re living in a small apartment, store a rolled stack in a drawer close to the sink and have a little hamper or bin close at hand for the used cloths until it’s laundry day.

Beeswax Wraps or Silicone Lids to replace Plastic Wrap

Two of the most common items to have on any list for zero-waste kitchen essentials are beeswax wraps and stretchy silicone lids and with a good reason — they are compact, can be used for a year or longer and take up almost no space. Over all, they’re also handy for apartment dwellers, since they’re easier to hang on a little hook or to lay flat in a drawer than some big roll of plastic wrap or foil would be.

3. Take advantage of Glass or Stainless Steel food storage.

Glass containers with an airtight lid are always a baseline of sustainably made kitchenware because they can be reused forever, won’t stain, and won’t absorb odors; they can be added to the fridge, put in the microwave or in the dishwasher. If you’re working in a small apartment kitchen, choose stackable, uniform sized containers instead of a random assortment of containers that don’t fit right together – this will maximize storage in the already limited available space, and the ability to stack containers in your cupboard and fridge is key to any small space kitchen.

Item 4: Take Reusable Bags to Bulk and Produce Stores

A waste-free kitchen for small American apartments is best for those who buy wisely. To make sure you always have them on hand, store a pair of mesh produce bags and a pair of larger cloth totes by your front door. Many of America’s cities have bulk grocery and/or refill stores that allow you to bring your own containers to fill in with grains, pasta, spices and cleaning supplies, avoiding packaging waste from entering your apartment at all.

5. Replace sponges with a Dish brush!

Plastic sponges cost money, wear out within short time and are normally thrown away into landfills within weeks. Wooden dish brush with replaceable head will last much longer, and require very little counter space—a good thing for apartment kitchen spaces.

Composting Without a Backyard.

Composting is one of the most significant issues people who rent have when they’re in the process of reading up on the greener ways of setting up their kitchen in their little U.S. apartment. The general concept of composting assumes that it needs to be done outdoors, there are however several methods that can be part of an apartment lifestyle:

• Under-sink compost bins have charcoal filters to manage odor and can be placed in a discreet spot.
• There is no odor at all if freezer composting is used, as scraps are kept in a locked container in the freezer until they can be collected at a nearby location.
• The drop-off programs operated by cities in the U.S. are becoming more mainstream; in addition, a number of municipalities and farmers markets provide free food scraps collection.
• Bokashi is one of the most “apt-to-an-apartment” forms of composting, that takes place in a small, enclosed container with a fermentation process and without the need to turn the compost.

If composting some of your food waste in a meaningful way can decrease the amount of trash that goes to the landfill – and that’s one of the most powerful tips of any small apartment kitchen organization plan.

For participants to take part in a Small Zero Waste Kitchen, they must be organized.

A sustainable zero waste kitchen setup for small american apartments is not one that falls apart after a few weeks as so many people claim it is, it’s one that is well organized. Here are a few tips:

• Use vertical space. Have a smaller shelf or hanging rack over the counter for jars, wraps and bags and store what isn’t used often in the cabinets.
• Transfer bulk staples into even diameters jars. Purchasing rice, oats, flour and beans in bulk will help to minimize packaging waste and if you do buy these items separately, arranging them in similar sized glass jars will help your small pantry look great and perform its job well.
• Maintain a small “zero waste station” near the waste and recycling stations. Make recycling and sustainable habits easy by bringing compost and a small pile of cloth bags in one area and a recycling sorting area.
• Label everything. Labelled bulk jars do not clutter up in a small kitchen. These can be easily marked or labeled with simple chalkboard or masking tape.

Starting a business with a low budget

You cannot redecorate your whole kitchen in one particular weekend. If we’re looking at a realistic, budget-friendly approach to setting up a small-scale, zero waste kitchen in small American apartments, it’s kind of like this:

• Replace paper towels with cloths and begin using reusable produce bags.
• Month two: Use beeswax wraps or silicone lids instead of plastic wrap and get a small compost system up and running.
• Month three: Replace worn out plastic food storage containers by glass or stainless steel containers, not all at once.
• Ongoing: One by one replace pantry items with reusable jars as they are used up, in lieu of buying an entire container set at once.

Slow and steady prevents an overloading cost because by not attempting to change out an entire kitchen all at once.

Here are some frequently made mistakes to steer clear of.

Well-meaning renters make a few missteps when setting up a zero waste kitchen system for small-size American apartments:

• Purchasing in excess for items that can be reused. This can cause such a massive clutter instead of the reduction of clutter, particularly in a little room. Consider adding products one at a time as needed.
• Ignoring landlord restrictions. Not all apartment buildings allow composting and some might only have limited recycling services. Before buying such items as large scale composters, consult your building policy.
• Overbuying bulk staples. Bulk shopping can minimize the waste in packaging but if used realistically – how much you would use before the product goes bad – particularly in a small pantry with limited space.
• Making films at home where they can be reused. Most people say that the leading cause of them getting back into single-use plastic bag habits is because they forget about their reusable bags. Simply place them by the door and problem solved!

Final Thoughts

Making a Zero Waste Kitchen in a small apartment in America is not about a perfectly Instagram-ready kitchen — it’s about setting up a kitchen that actually works well for your lifestyle and space in your kitchen. Be realistic with what you’re doing, make changes in the least complicated order (paper towels and plastic wrap first), and then composting and purchasing in bulk. A few small changes go a long way toward reducing waste, keeping kitchens tidy and less polluting — and even in the smallest of American apartments!

The ideas and information in this guide are general tips for having a sustainable kitchen. Please consult your local building or city recycling and composting ordinances as they do differ from place to place.