Easy and eco-friendly home kitchen habits
From our home to yours, here are some simple suggestions for being more mindful of Mother Earth when it comes to your kitchen:
Be responsible & resourceful
- Establish a simple system for recycling at home. Sort and discard recyclables according to how your local waste management company collects items. Hint: All O Olive Oil & Vinegar products are bottled in recyclable glass.
- Collect food scraps in a small, countertop compost bin to later add to the soil of your home garden. Find tips here for composting at home. Don’t have a home garden? Many farmers markets and organizations accept compost donations. Find resources for community programs like these below. Some utility companies collect compost as well.
Consider green cleaning
- Consider switching from traditional to green cleaning products, which typically contain less chemicals and are often manufactured using more sustainable methods. Nowadays, most major retailers offer these options. Or, you can take it a step further and use everyday ingredients like baking soda and vinegar for DIY solutions (which tend to be financially friendly as well).
Go for green gadgets
- Choose cookware and kitchen utensils made of stainless steel or cast iron over teflon, glass over plastic, and cloth over paper towels. Materials like these can be washed and reused, and have a longer lifespan than their limited-use alternatives.
- Maintain and keep your kitchen appliances in fully functioning order to avoid any unnecessarily excessive use of energy. If it’s time to replace an old stove or a defective dishwasher, select energy-efficient upgrades (look for the EnergyStar rating).
Be a smart shopper
- Multi-use water bottles, reusable shopping totes and produce bags go a long way in reducing the consumption of plastic water bottles and store-provided paper and plastic bags. Refill your reusable water bottles at home with a water-purifying pitcher (or refrigeration filtration system if you have one). Keep reusable bags in convenient places such as by the front door and in your car so that you’re prepared and can simply grab and go.
- Shop local and in season whenever possible. In addition to finding the freshest fare, buying local produce means your food will have traveled fewer miles from farm to table, which cuts down on fuel and emissions tied to long-distance transportation or importation of goods. Plus, you’ll support your community. While many retail markets offer and label locally grown produce, farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSA’s) are worth considering. Not sure what’s available in your area? Check out LocalHarvest.org.
Think outside of the box (literally)
- Many of the most nutritious and beneficial food products, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, naturally have no or limited packaging. No plastic wrappers or boxes to sort and recycle. Easy and eco-friendly! Fill your reusable shopping totes with heaps of healthy, nutritious, raw and unwrapped goodness galore!
- Take your fresh fruits and veggies home, enhance them with natural flavor enhancers such as olive oils, vinegars, herbs and spices, and enjoy an eco-friendly kitchen and healthy lifestyle!
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Recruit! Spread the word and share these tips with your friends and family. Every contribution counts towards a happier and healthier Earth!