Practice these eco-friendly habits to make greener choices in your kitchen.
Reusable Supplies
Restock your kitchen with reusable materials. Use reusable sponges and cloth dish towels for cleaning. Replace your plastic storage bags with glass jars for food products and use reusable shopping bags when you go to the grocery store. Plastic containers can leach harmful chemicals that can disturb the function of your hormones. Glass containers are not only healthier for you and better for the environment, but they also last longer than plastic containers. Purchase plastic-free reusable food wrap or silicone covers and reduce waste by storing your food properly.
Reduce Waste
Instead of throwing all your trash away use a blue bin to separate your recyclables and a green bin for waste that can be composted. More than 30 percent of what is normally thrown away can be composted and turned into organic fertilizer for the soil. You can compost most food scraps including fruits, vegetables, nutshells, eggshells, and more. To start a compost pile in your backyard, choose a shady and dry spot near a water source. You will need to moisten dry materials as they go in. You may want to cover the top of your compost pile with a tarp once it is established to keep it moist. It will be ready to use when the material at the bottom is dark in color.
Save Energy
Replace your kitchen appliances with eco-friendly appliances and practice energy-efficient cooking. Energy-efficient appliances will help you reduce your carbon footprint and save money on your utility bills. Install a motion sensor on your kitchen faucet so it turns off automatically to save water. Try to limit your oven use by cooking more than one thing at a time. If you’re cooking smaller dishes, you can use a toaster oven or microwave to save energy.
Your kitchen can be greener and eco-friendlier using these helpful tips.
