Seven Ways to a Greener Kitchen

seven ways to a Greener

You probably know that having an eco-friendly kitchen is much better for the environment. However, you might not know what steps you have to take to make it more energy efficient and minimize the waste of natural resources. Did you know that the average home produces 7.5 tons of CO² every year? Here are a few ways to lower the carbon footprint of every room, including your kitchen:

1) Find creative ways to reuse bottles: Glass bottles probably last a lot longer than you expect. Of course, it is better to find bottles made from biodegradable materials, but that is not always feasible. The next best alternative is to find ways to reuse them. 2) Install low-flow faucets: Water is a very precious resource. Unfortunately, our supply of drinkable water is shrinking by the day due to climate change and pollution. Use a low-flow faucet to save as much water as possible. Another option is to install a faucet aerator, which will decrease the flow by increasing airflow at the faucet outlet. 3) Separate the microwave and oven: Appliances can be rearranged to help save energy. For example, separating the refrigerator from heat-producing appliances such as the oven will make it more energyefficient. You will be able to keep the temperature low without running an air conditioner. 4) Purchase eco-friendly cookware: Cookware may not be part of the

Kitchen

by Margaret DeStefano

infrastructure of your kitchen, but it will play a huge role in the environmental footprint of your kitchen. Invest in eco-friendly cookware to maintain an eco-friendly lifestyle, you must be aware of the type of material that you select when you are purchasing utensils. The most important thing is to make sure that you don’t have any plastic cookware. There are materials that degrade much easier. Plastic has a lot of harmful chemicals and takes a long time to break down, so it leads to landfill waste problems. 5) Choose Lighting: LED lightbulbs are better alternatives to traditional bulbs. This is because they use up to 90% less energy. They also last 25 times longer, so you will not waste as much energy. 6) Use Energy Star appliances: You should look for appliances with the Energy Star certificate. Homes that use Energy Star appliances use up to 20% less energy than those with traditional appliances. 7) Recycle your trash: While most people appreciate the importance of recycling, they don’t do it nearly enough. However, you can take steps to recycle food waste to make your kitchen eco-friendlier. You can set up separate garbage cans to sort waste more quickly. This is a great initiative and a step in the right direction to start an eco-friendly kitchen.