We’ve teamed up with our friends at GreenPan—makers of non-toxic, nonstick, PFAS-free cookware—to compile a guide to green-ing your kitchen. From all-natural cleaners to recipes that make clever use of food scraps, we’ve got sustainability covered.

An eco-friendlier kitchen starts with food prep. If you love low-fuss pots and pans, then consider one of our favorite nonstick cookware options, like GreenPan. A leader in non-toxic, ceramic cookware, GreenPan products are free of PFAS chemicals (a family of forever chemicals), lead, and cadmium, and its ceramic coating won’t give off toxic fumes—no matter how high you turn up the heat. GreenPan isn’t messing around when it comes to performance either; these pans heat evenly and deliver a beautiful sear, plus they’re oven- and dishwasher-safe.

If you’re in the market for a whole new lineup, you could go all-out with something like the GreenPan Reserve 10-Piece Cookware Set. Every piece in this collection has the same high-performance ceramic coating of their originals but with a few stylish upgrades, including gold-toned stainless steel handles with a matte finish and a fresh new color option: creamy, dreamy taupe.

We’re always looking for the best (and safest!) ways to clean. Whether you want to eliminate harsh chemicals in the kitchen or reduce single-use plastics, DIY cleaning solutions are the fastest route to an all-natural clean. Bonus: you probably have most of our go-to ingredients in your kitchen right now. Try out our favorite formulas for greener cleaning:

• Make a citrus-y surface cleaner: You need three ingredients and an empty spray bottle to make this all-purpose cleaner. Add 2 cups of water, 3 to 4 tablespoons of castile soap (like Dr. Bronner's), and 7 to 10 drops of lemon essential oil to your spray bottle. Screw on the top and give it a good shake before each use.

• Scrub-a-dub your sink: This post-dishes scrub will leave your kitchen sparkling. Shake a generous amount of baking soda into your sink, drizzle on a few squirts of castille or dish soap, and scrub the full surface of the sink with a scrub brush or sponge until it shines.

• Deep-clean your cutting boards: Gather kosher salt, half of a lemon, a food-safe wood conditioner (or mineral oil), and a clean rag. Sprinkle the board with the salt; then, rub the entire board with the cut side of a lemon; and finally, wipe off excess salt. After the board is totally dry, massage it generously with the food-safe wood oil. After ten minutes, wipe off any excess oil.

Your greenest intentions in the kitchen won’t add up to much if you don’t apply the same principles to your food. Smart grocery shopping can cut back on waste and proper storage can keep food fresh longer. (But if all else fails, we’ve also got tips for composting whatever you don’t manage to use up.) Here’s how to be strategic about your fresh food:

• Never shop without a plan: A shopping list will prevent you from buying more food than you can use. Take extra care when it comes to meat because it will spoil relatively quickly and has a higher carbon footprint.

• Make produce last: To keep fresh herbs and leafy greens crisp, spritz reusable cotton produce bags lightly with water before stashing them in the fridge.

• Use up leftovers: Store your leftovers in clear, air-tight containers in the fridge on an eye-level shelf—this way, you’ll be more likely to eat them.

• Become a freezer fanatic: If you know you won’t use something up, freeze it! Almost everything can be frozen and saved for later.

Don’t toss those potato peels or turnip tops! Proper storage and composting are key to a low-waste kitchen, but it’s even more important to put every bit of edible food to use first. Here are a few of our favorite tips and recipes for zero-waste cooking, including a cake whose secret ingredient is banana peel (!) and a garlicky herb jam made from wilting stems:

• Use those greens: The leafy tops to root vegetables are food scrap gold. Carrot tops make for a delicious pesto and beet and turnip greens are just as delicious sautéed as spinach or kale.

• Freeze your trimmings: Save any vegetable bits you’d usually discard (think: potato peels, kale ribs, and herb stems) in a gallon-sized zip-top bag in your freezer. When the bag gets full, simmer your scraps into a flavorful broth, then whip up a batch of baked pasta risotto or farro salad with golden beets and candied pecans.

• Save it for a smoothie: Mealy peaches, gone-soft berries, and black bananas are a bummer to eat fresh, but they are perfectly suited to blending into your morning smoothie.

Words by Laura Fenton

All Photos By: Julia Gartland. Prop Stylist: Veronica Olson. Food Stylist: Lauren LaPenna.