It is roughly estimated that around 1000 tonnes of food is wasted in the world every minute, making it 30% or 1.3 billion tons annually. Out of which 35% comes from home kitchens due to extra buying, processing problems, and poor storage and planning. This wasted food goes to our landfills where it decomposes and produces methane which is 84% more potent than carbon dioxide. It lowers the levels of oxygen in the atmosphere, traps heat, and thus aggravates climate change. All this because of poor waste management in our households that can easily be reversed by small yet significant environmentally conscious changes that we can make in our kitchens today. Let’s have a look.
1. Recycle & Reuse
While renovating your kitchen, focus more on recycled stuff. It would be cheaper, reusable, and a better choice than the first hand and expensive material. For example, if your kitchen storage is exposed to water, prefer to repair the water-damaged cabinets rather than getting a new set altogether. This would not only take a toll on your pocket plus it would be completely unnecessary. Getting any item recycled is a far better option than dumping it and acquiring a new one. The sustainable choices that you make in your kitchen are long-lasting, economical, and healthier. For example, organic cotton bags are a great choice for packing. And a foldable water bottle is easy to carry and BPA-free. Swap plastic straws with stainless steel straws and paper towels with cotton and wood pulp dishcloths.
2. Make Green Choices
Going green is an elegant and sustainable choice when your kitchen renovations are environmentally friendly. Again, plastic is the main culprit so seek an alternative that would work for you instead of the plastic containers, bags, and wraps. The silicon jars, reusable bags, glass or mason jars, bee’s reusable wraps would keep your food extra fresh and free from any harmful, chemical reactions that plastic may cause. Use LED lights instead of high voltage bulbs to increase energy efficiency in your kitchen. Say no to plastic bags and use a shopping bag made of clothing preferably. Plant some pots in your kitchen window to add freshness. Get your soft plastic jars and containers recycled. Remember, every little bit of plastic adds up and takes a toll on the natural world, make sure you play the least part in soiling the environment.
3. Go Zero Waste
Go zero waste is literally meant to go zero waste. for our livelihood, we consume resources that originated in the earth, use them to some extent, and ditch them back in rather bad quantities as the earth is our big waste yard. The goal behind going zero waste is to send nothing back to the lowland. Recycle as much as possible and compost the waste food. Zero waste demands a whole redefining of the system that we are a part of. It wants us to shift from a linear economy perspective to a circular economy where there is no trash sent to the landfill.
Start with getting rid of plastic in your kitchen as it’s the main component of going zero waste. Dump wasted food in the DIY tumblers and compost bins or worm farms to save the planet from the extra waste dumped by you. These small changes would help you leave a better impact on the environment with fewer carbon footprints, pollution, and plastic and that starts with your kitchen.
4. Opt For All Natural Cleaning Solutions
The homemade all purpose cleaning solutions save you from the market’s harmful cleaning chemicals that not only compromises your food, but also your health and money. All you need to have baking soda, vinegar, and lemon to disinfect and clean your cutting boards, greasy stoves, ovens and dishwashers and dingy kitchen floors. These are the natural cleaners and have deodorizing properties. The market cleaning solution contains bleach and ammonia and puts your health in risk.
There is a lot more that can be done to create and maintain an environmentally conscious kitchen. Starting with these few steps you will find yourself in the right direction. Obviously, that requires a total mindset change but opting for a greener and healthier way of living today would give us a better tomorrow for sure and make it a better place for our generations to come. All your need is to take a step.
