In today’s modern age of ethical and environmental awareness, it is fair to say that more and more people around the world are starting to seek out ways to make a small impact in their own ways, looking for changes that they can make in their own lives that can stand to have even a tiny positive effect on the overall state of the planet on which we live. In this special guest post, Ruby Clarkson offers some practical ideas for creating a more eco-friendly kitchen.
According to Stonehouse Furniture, in terms of rooms in the house where most changes can be made, the kitchen it absolutely the front runner. It is the place where we spend most time in a fuel using, energy using sense, and it is the place that calls for most outside items to be brought inside. Here are a few suggestions for how to make your cooking space a much greener, eco-friendly environment.
1. Improve Your Kitchen Recycling
It sounds so obvious at this point in time, but you would be shocked by how many households still don’t bother to adhere to the recycling rules of their local councils. Make things easier for yourself by setting up an in-kitchen recycling centre in a couple of cupboards. Have simple, easy to navigate bins or tubs that have all the relevant labels attached. Somewhere like under your sink is perfect, and you will soon get in the habit of sorting your rubbish in the right way.
2. Grow Your Own Herbs
Herbs are incredibly sturdy and can be grown effectively by even the most non green fingered of people. Not only is having your own herb shelf or garden something that gives you a great sense of achievement and satisfaction, it also has the double benefit of saving you money in the supermarket and prevents you from paying for yet another pile of plastic packaging that you don’t necessarily need.
3. Fill The Dishwasher
Many of us are in the habit of running the dishwasher at the end of every evening, regardless of how many dirty plates and utensils are actually in it. To create a more eco-friendly kitchen and make your home a more water efficient place, only put the dishwasher through a cycle when it is completely full. If there is only a small pile of dirty dishes, then just wash it up by hand. Some eco-conscious people will only ever use the dishwasher when they are faced with a set of really stubborn pots and pans!
4. Use Mason Jars in Your Eco-friendly Kitchen
Mason jars have the double positive of not only looking great in a kitchen, but also helping you to get away from a reliance on plastic containers. There is no arguing that glass isn’t the more expensive option, but you get for a little extra cash is something that is going to last much longer, and that doesn’t contain any of the chemicals that plastic containers usually do.
5. Make Your Own Compost
Don’t just throw away those scraps and peels of fruits and vegetables. Instead set up a little composting process. Not only does it immediately reduce the amount of rubbish that you throw away each week, but it can also be turned in to a valuable tool for the soil you have in your garden. Composting is a great idea on the way to true self sufficiency and an eco-friendly kitchen.
6. Choose LED Bulbs For An Eco-friendly Kitchen
The majority of time spent in the kitchen requires you to have the lights on for cooking, eating, cleaning, etc., so make the change to LED light bulbs for much better energy use. LED bulbs use only about 20 percent of the energy of a standard light bulb, which means they last longer and end up costing you less on your monthly electric bill.
No matter what kind of design angle you choose for your kitchen, there is no excuse not to bring a green, ethical and eco-friendly approach to what you do inside it as possible. It’s not too late to try to change the negative direction of this planet’s environmental future.
7. Save Supermarket Bags
Most people make a trip to the supermarket at least once a week, so think about how you are contributing to the plastic crisis if you opt to get a brand new set of bags every single time. Instead, create a classic ‘bag of bags’ situation in your eco-friendly kitchen that you can pull a few from every time you go shopping. Reusing the same bags over and over again means that not only are you not participating in the need for more plastic bags to be created, but you are also making best use of the plastic that you have already used in the past. Single use plastic becomes multi-use!
Images: courtesy of Pexels
Author bio
Ruby Clarkson is a freelance writer who is passionate about saving the planet, and the animals we share it with. When she isn’t writing, she is either out in the garden or snuggled up with a book, and chocolate of course.
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Really loved your unique idea of eco-friendly kitchen. Keep posting!