7 Smart Ways To Make Your Kitchen More Eco Friendly
For many people, the kitchen is the heart of their home. That’s because it is the place where family members gather and enjoy a good meal.
However, spending time in the kitchen means producing more waste. According to reports, Europeans and North Americans produce about 95 kg per capita of food waste in a year. With environmental issues going around, it is wise to make sustainable kitchens.
Here are some tips that you can make a more sustainable kitchen and help in bringing eco-friendly ethics to your home.
Buy high-quality kitchen accessories:
To get things started, try to buy high-quality and durable kitchen accessories. To maximize sustainability and have minimum impact on the environment, it is good to use kitchen drawers with concealed hinges. Also, make sure that the door handles remain invisible.
Look out for furniture crafted from reclaimed wood. Cabinets and other kitchen furniture made from reclaimed wood retain a weathered look that adds a new dimension to your style. Moreover, they are economical as well.
Think beyond plastic:
While plastic products make life easier, they are not good for the environment. They use plenty of energy to produce and take hundreds of years to biodegrade. However, you can cut your usage of items made from plastic.
One of the best ways is to use sustainable kitchen products such as reusable bags. You can take them while going to the store. Also, you can swap the plastic storage containers with reusable and washable ceramic, metal, or glass storage containers.
Organize your kitchen:
Another best way to keep your kitchen green is by using kitchen organizers. That way, you can keep your kitchen tidy and organized. Organizers provide smart storage to keep pantries and food items organized. Some organizers are designed to hold utensils in the right way.
As such, you can avoid the chances of having the food items or utensils damaged or wasted. Dish rack and pull-out baskets are some of the kitchen organizers that you should have. Moreover, they are easy to clean and last for several years.
Make use of natural cleaning products:
There is no question that most of the cleaning products that you use in your kitchen contain toxic chemicals. While they have a bad impact on your health, they are not good for the environment either. Also, they disrupt the microbiome of the kitchen and the health of the planet.
Using products that contain chlorine and ammonia has a negative impact on the ecosystem and can make you unhealthy in the long run. You can use natural cleaning products such as baking soda, vinegar and lemon, and salt instead. They have no ill effects on your health and disinfects your kitchen.
Reduce trash:
Another great step in making a more sustainable kitchen is to moderate the trash. Food waste is biodegradable and can be transformed into manure. Cooking at home reduces the chances of using low-grade plastic boxes and helps to lower non-biodegradable wastes.
Buying excessive fruits and vegetables that might spoil quickly if you don’t consume them soon, leads to wastage of food. But if you think that there will be excess food, store them in the refrigerator.
Make green choices:
Achieving a more sustainable kitchen comes down to your preferences. However, it doesn’t mean that you take a different path and follow an inconvenient life. Going green is all about changing your old habits and finding a more sustainable alternative.
Here are some greener choices that you can make.
- Storing food in airtight containers to avoid food wastage
- Swapping to eco-friendly appliances
- Using products that are made from renewable materials
- Look out for second hand, recycled products when you are planning about renovating
- Make it a habit to use bamboo or metal alternative instead of using straws
- Keep a handful of reusable shopping bags in your car
Stop using gas stoves frequently:
With a substantial amount of evidence that proves gas stoves are bad both for your health and the environment, you will have to upgrade to the induction or electric model option. For people who can’t replace a gas stove or change a gas line, they can replace one of the gas burners with a single burner induction stove. Also, pressure cookers are amazing ways of cooking and require less gas.