Many people want to start to become more environmentally conscious, but don't have the tools to do so. In this blog, I will share the top 10 most important things that will transform your kitchen into an Earth-friendly space for your entire family!
1. Choose Energy Efficient Appliances
Saving energy isn't just good for your bank account, but it is great for the environment too! LED lights save up to 75% more energy than regular light bulbs. When choosing appliances, look for "Energy Star" rated appliances. These products are rated by the amount of water and energy they save, as compared to their basic counterparts.
But don't just throw away your old appliances! Make sure they go to a home that needs them, a restoration company, or properly recycle unfixable appliances.
2. Cleaning Supplies
It is crazy the amount of unnecessary packaging and harmful chemicals that your daily kitchen cleaning supplies produce. Once you have used all of your current products, (because wasting old products to buy new eco-friendly ones is counterintuitive) consider some of these swaps:
Dish soap bars
Good quality natural sponges
Blueland & Norwex, or other natural products
3. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
Everyone knows that recycling is important, but many people don't know how to properly recycle. Here's a basic list of things that are accepted by most cities recycling plants, but make sure to do more research for your specific city.
What can be recycled:
Paper including newspapers, magazines, and mixed paper
Cardboard (OCC)
Glass bottles and jars
Rigid plastic products
Metal containers, including tin, aluminum, and steel cans
Food waste, if your city has an organics collection program
What cannot be recycled:
Greasy paper, such as oil-soaked paper plates and pizza boxes
Used paper towels, tissues, and diapers
Broken ceramics, light bulbs, and mirrors
Film plastics, such as plastic bags, shrink wrap, and bubble wrap
Styrofoam, otherwise known as expanded polystyrene (EPS)
Electronic waste (e-waste)
Construction and demolition (C&D) debris, such as concrete and drywall
Carrier stock; the paper packaging around packs of drink cans
4. Eat Green, Be Green
When going grocery shopping, you can make some simple decisions that will create a better environment for everyone.
Buy more produce!
We know that might not be the first thing on your mind when going to the store for your weekly shopping, but when you buy local produce, it reduces your waste by an astronomical amount.
Just think about it- if you made a salad for lunch with local veggies from a farmer's market with some fresh made cheese instead of a prepackaged frozen meal with tons of plastic packaging. Not only is it good for your health, but it is good for the planet's health as well.
This can go for everything- snacks, breakfasts, etc!
5. Kitchen Single-Use Swaps
Single use items are one of the biggest wastes of money and a big harm to our planet. A lot of people get turned off by the thought of living green because they think it's expensive, but in all reality all of these single-use items you need to buy a new pack of every month will end up costing more than reusing glass food containers or buying sustainable kitchen staples. On average, Americans who swap their single use plastics for multi-use products save $1,200 a year average. Here are some swaps we suggest:
Dish cloths instead of paper towels/napkins
Repurposed glass containers instead of plastic baggies
Stop buying paper plates, and just use your plate set.
Plastic-free coffee setup
Silicone baking mats
Metal straws