Kmart is expanding its range of cooking and kitchen items to help shoppers avoid plastic.
Nearly 80 per cent of Aussies are concerned about plastic use, according to a YouGov survey, and many have gone above and beyond to remove items like spatulas, storage containers, and mugs from their households.
Kmart buyer Sarah Dummett, who is in charge of sourcing fresh dining products for the retailer, told Yahoo Lifestyle that’s why more stainless steel, glass, silicone, and bamboo options are hitting the shelves.
Kmart is dropping a new range of food storage and cookware that helps Aussies avoid plastic.
(Yahoo Lifestyle)
“We’ve seen the customer behaviour shift dramatically, particularly within the kitchen space,” Sarah said.
“People are starting to move out of the plastic food storage that they bought two years ago, and they’re moving into glass.”
While silicone is a synthetic polymer, it’s considered safer because it can withstand much higher temperatures than plastic and therefore doesn’t leach into your food.
In the new-look range, there are 3L glass jars with wooden lids for $12 each, along with 1.5L versions for $6.50, both suitable for food storage such as flour, cereals, and grains.
Kmart’s expanded kitchen and food storage range has been designed to give shoppers more options than plastic.
(Yahoo Lifestyle)
Additionally, you can also buy 3L and 1.5L glass containers with clip lids for just $6.50 and $4, respectively.
Stainless steel lunch boxes can also be picked up for $14 in a range of colours.
The retailer was also praised recently for releasing a $99 glass air fryer that held its own against more expensive alternatives.
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Kmart’s new ceramic cookware set to be a ‘healthier’ alternative
Fellow Kmart buyer Laura Hardgrove told Yahoo Lifestyle she’s excited for shoppers to see the non-stick ceramic cookware.
There is a five-piece blue set for $89 that includes three pots and two large pans.
“Ceramic is considered a healthier alternative [to non-stick pans], and it’s just for those people who want to go on that wellness journey,” Laura said.
According to CHOICE, this type of cookware doesn’t contain the nasty “forever chemicals” like PTFEs and PFAs found in other pots and pans.
While they’re still made of metal, they have a ceramic coating on top that keeps them non-stick.
The consumer group said ceramic options in the kitchen can be much easier to handle compared to stainless steel and cast iron, and are great for low-heat meals like eggs, fish and pancakes.
However, they can struggle with high-heat meals that require searing or deep frying.
Kmart’s new ceramic cookware is a healthier alternative to pots and pans that have certain non-stick coating.
(Yahoo Lifestyle)
The range will be hitting shelves over the coming weeks.
(Yahoo Lifestyle)
“If you’re looking to replace your non-stick cookware and reduce your exposure to PTFE and related chemical coatings, ceramic non-stick cookware is a good alternative to consider,” CHOICE said.
“It’s said to be made from more natural materials that won’t pose health risks, even if heated to high temperatures.”
But if you want something more hardcore, Kmart is also releasing a range of cast-iron and stainless-steel cookware that is similarly free of plastic.
These items are set to hit shelves in the coming weeks, and Sarah revealed that even more food storage and lunchbox options are coming in the next 6 to 12 months.
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