10
eco-FRIENDLIER options IN YOUR kitchen
1.
Choose Matches Over Lighters
Most
lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel,
both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered
"disposable," over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year.
When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches
come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from
recycled paper.
2.
Don't use liquid dishwashing detergents
Dish
and laundry liquids are mostly water (up to 80 percent). While
the double and triple compact concentrates reduce that amount,
it still costs energy and packaging to bring this water to
the consumer. Also, liquid detergents come in plastic packaging;
whereas, powdered detergents are packaged in cardboard-another
green perk. For other water saving tips, check out thegreenguide.com.
3.
Don't Rinse the Dishes
Skip
rinsing dishes before using your dishwasher and save up to
20 gallons of water each load. Plus, you're saving time and
the energy used to heat the additional water.
4.
Don't Pre-Heat the Oven
Unless
you are making bread or pastries of some sort, don't pre-heat
the oven. Just turn it on when you put the dish in. Also,
when checking on your food, look through the oven window instead
of opening the door.
5.
Turn Off the Oven Early
Simply
turn your oven off ten minutes before the end of the actual
cooking time and allow the residual heat to complete the process.
By doing this alone, you can save around 1600 kW of electricity
per year.
6.
Go Vegetarian Once Per Week
One
less meat-based meal a week helps the planet and your diet.
For example: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce
one pound of beef. You will also save some trees. For each
hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest
land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed.
7.
Don't Clean Those Veggies Under the Tap
By
allowing the tap to continuously run you could use up to ten
times more water than by filling up a bowl. This is wasted
water that will then have to be treated before returning back
into the water cycle. You could also consider using a produce
brush to make sure you scrub away all the dirt, and don't
forget to use the leftover water on your garden or indoor
plants.
8.
Compost Your Food Waste
Food
waste from your home is just a part of the 30% of waste generated
by an average household which can be composted rather than
thrown away. When mixed with other materials in landfill sites,
green waste has the potential to produce polluting liquids
along with methane gases which contribute to the greenhouse
effect. Good composting on the other hand can produce valuable
nutrients which can be passed back into the earth. All your
food waste makes for great composting material so get into
the routine of saving it for the compost. You can also add
your cardboard and shredded paper to your compost bin along
with all your garden waste.
9.
Use One Less Paper Napkin
During
an average year, an American uses approximately 2,200 napkins-around
six each day. If everyone in the U.S. used one less napkin
a day, more than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved
from landfills each year.
10.
Invest In Your Own Coffee Cup
When
you leave your home in the morning, grab your own coffee cup
if you start your day with a steamy cup along the way to work.
A quick tabulation can show you that the waste is piling up.
Invest in a reusable cup, which not only cuts down on waste,
but keeps your beverage hot for a much longer time. Most coffee
shops will happily fill your own cup, and many even offer
you a discount in exchange!
