No matter if you are an environmentally-conscious person or you just want to lower your utility bills and your overall expenses, going green in the kitchen can certainly help you. Most of the time, whenever we open the fridge or cook something to eat, we do not even realize what a tremendous impact our small and seemingly normal actions have on the surrounding environment. Here are 10 efficient and low-cost ways to go green in the kitchen:
1. Invest In A Dishwasher
A dishwasher is certainly a good long-term investment, from two points of view. Firstly, it will help you save a lot of time and trouble, as all you need to do is to remove all the solid residue from the plates prior to inserting them into the dishwasher, and the machine will do all the work on your part. Secondly, it is known that dishwashers use up to 40% less water than we do whenever we wash the dishes by hand. Save time and gallons of water with this device.
2. Opt For A Low-Flow Aerator
This is a low-cost and efficient way to go green in the kitchen, as we often consume more water than we need, simply because we do not regulate the water flow when doing the dishes or preparing the food. A good low-flow aerator can last for years without impacting the water pressure in any way, not to mention that these small yet incredibly practical devices typically cost under $10 at a local hardware store.
3. Switch From Plastic Containers And Dishes To Glass And Porcelain
We tend to buy plastic bags or plastic containers simply because they are more lightweight and durable, and we can easily carry them around with us wherever we go. Glass or ceramic containers may seem old-fashioned for some of us, but they certainly come in handy if you are looking for an eco-friendly way to prepare and manage your food, not to mention that a glass plate costs little over $5!
4. Recycle All Your Garbage
Unfortunately, very few people know that they can recycle their waste instead of just throwing everywhere in just one place.
5. Switch From Paper Towels To Dish Rags And Cloth Pieces
Another very efficient tip to go green in the kitchen is to replace your paper towel or your paper tissues with either a piece of cloth that you can wash and reuse multiple times, or with a dish rag or a towel that comes in handy for wiping spills and liquids. Cost-effective and durable, these are some great eco-friendly products to consider!
6. Trade Your full-Size Oven For A Slow Cooker
It often happens that we tend to use full-size ovens for cooking or heating up virtually anything, when we can do the same with toaster ovens, microwaves or slow cookers. Not only is a smaller oven more time-effective and affordable, but it will also have a lower carbon footprint on the surrounding environment!
7. Install A Water Filtering System And Drink Tap Water
Why buy large plastic water bottles when you can install an efficient and durable water filtering system on your kitchen faucet, and start drinking tap water instead? Although millions of people still drink tap water without installing a filtering system first, this can wreak havoc on your health due to the contaminants like chloroform or lead. A high-quality water filtering system will not only remove all these impurities, but will also remove the unpleasant chlorine taste.
8. Opt For Energy Efficient And Eco-Friendly Kitchen Appliances
You can also go green in the kitchen by replacing your current appliances with new, Energy Star-rated kitchen appliances that typically use 50% less energy consumption than regular, non-approved appliances. This will help you lower our monthly energy bills as well!
9. Do Not Buy Non-Stick Cookware
Of course, non-stick cookwear is a great choice if you are looking for an efficient method to save time and effort, but would you be willing to compromise your health if you knew that the surfaces of the non-stick cookware releases a potential human carcinogen into the atmosphere known as PFOA? The molecules remain intact in the air, and they can affect plants, people and animals. Instead of buying non-stick cooking pans, you can just use the regular metal pans as we all know them.
10. Use Green Cleaning Products
If you truly want to go green in the kitchen, then in addition to replacing your dishwasher soap with an eco-friendly one that has no harsh chemicals that can pollute the waters, you can also use eco-friendly cleaning products.
You can either buy them or you can make your own, as it is a known fact that regular products you can find in the kitchen such as baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice work just as good as the commercial-grade cleaners. Baking soda is particularly efficient for removing grease from your kitchen countertops, while vinegar and lemon juice is great for scrubbing the dirt off your kitchen walls and sink, as well as cleaning other rooms throughout your house.