Making you home more eco-friendly doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Even small steps can lead to meaningful change.
Here are some tips to “Go Green in your Kitchen”
Skip the pre-rinse-
Most households now own a dishwasher but many people aren’t using them properly.
If you rinse your bowls and plates before placing them in the dishwasher, you aren’t taking advantage of the device designed to make our lives easier.
By pre-rinsing, not only are you wasting water (and money), but you’re also not allowing the dishwasher to clean properly.
So next time you are dishwasher duty, let your dishwasher take care of the cleaning.
Choose Energy Efficient Appliances-
Retailers have made it so easy to see the energy rating of new appliances with the energy star rating.
You could cut your energy use by up to 30% with new qualified appliances.
Replace your dishwasher with a new model that’s energy-efficient and conserves water.
Older refrigerators are especially big energy wasters.
Check the seals on your older fridge/freezers for holes and tears, which makes the appliance work harder to stay cold and therefore using more energy.
New Seals are relatively easy to purchase online and replace rather than a brand new fridge.
A new fridge will obviously be more energy efficient but I understand your kitchen renovation budget sometimes cant stretch for a new fridge.
Changing your light fittings to energy-efficient LED lighting will also have an impact on your energy consumption.
Speak to our electrician at your onsite inspection and they can advise on the best LED lighting for your home to improve energy consumption but also look amazing!
Of course natural light is best so maybe look at a skylight?
Install a Hi-Flow In-line Water Filtration System-
Buying bottled water is not only an environmental issue, but it also is super expensive.
We can install a Hi-flow water filtration system with your new kitchen which filters your tap water using only one tap.
This system is initially installed by the plumber and you can change the water filters yourself without the need of a plumber visit and you can order the replacement cartridges online.
It filters all water, hot and cold and also-
· Finely polishes treated water to premium quality for drinking and cooking.
· Reduces chlorine taste and odour
· Reduces dirt, rust and other particulates such as oxidized iron, manganese and sulphides
· Reduces parasitic protozoan cysts such as Giardia, Entamoeba and Cryptosporidium.
· Reduces limescale build-up in water using appliances.
Wow- some of those sound pretty nasty! It just tastes better!
The other great feature is the water flow will become restricted when the cartridge is ready to be replaced therefore saving your family drinking unsafe water through a dirty cartridge!
It will depend on how often you use the filter but we change our filter about every 18months.
Meat Free Mondays-
I can feel all you carnivores rolling your eyes at a meat-free meal but it is a proven fact that by eating more plant-based diet we can reduce carbon emissions.
I have been a pescatarian now for over 6 years due to the environmental impact farmed animals have on our planet and my deep love of animals.
I totally understand this is not for everyone but just one day a week try a yummy tomato-based pasta topped with bocconcini and toasted pine nuts with a fresh garden salad or a yummy vegetarian curry with rice and naan bread is a fantastic start.
There are so many recipes now with many celebrity chefs endorsing one meat-free meal a week.
Start a new family tradition- go Meat-free every Monday!
Embrace Ugly-
We all have flaws.
This holds true for produce too- from misshapen potatoes to twisted, multi-legged carrots but these imperfections are only skin deep.
Embracing funny-looking fruits are vegetables can go a long way in reducing our nation’s food waste problem.
We, as consumers, have for too long, insisted our fruit and veggies are perfectly presented and the produce that failed to meet retailer appearance standard were wasted.
We toss a jaw-dropping 1.3 billion tonnes of food worldwide every year! That’s a lot of food wasted!
Use reusable shopping bags
This is a no brainer as we are now so used to taking our reusable shopping bags into the stores.
But we are still taking those single-use plastic bags for our produce.
Buy some lightweight bags for your produce or just don’t use them at all- I see people using a plastic produce bag for 3 bananas! Really!!
You are going to wash your produce anyway so why waste plastic bags holding individual items?
And why do the suppliers need to wrap a cucumber in plastic?
If you are gung-ho on using plastic produce bags, try to bring them shopping next time to reuse or use a biodegradable option.
Shopping at a bulk store like Suntralis is fantastic as I take my reusable containers and refill them.
The best thing is they go straight into the pantry as my container is already clean and labelled.
Set up a home composting system-
There are many different ways to recycle your food scraps.
From the worm farms to large outdoor compost heaps I feel the best system (the only one I’ve had success with) is a tumbler composter.
They are relatively cheap to buy, don’t take up a lot of space, easy to use and you can fill it for months without getting full!
If you have the room, the ultimate composters are chickens with the added bonus of free-range eggs.
Or with limited space the Bokashi bucket system is designed to use in your kitchen- they even have a system for your dog do doos-( I want one!)
Most councils now have green bin collections so if composting isn’t your bag- at least you can recycle via your green bin.
Buy Local and Support Small Businesses
Look at the lovely fruit and veggie shops in your local area.
By buying from these stores you are not only supporting a small business it is more fun and social and easier to ask about the produce and its origins.
Food produced locally has travelled less, often fresher and you’re keeping your food budget dollars in our beautiful State.
Look at the markets we have across the state such as the Willunga Farmers Market, Adelaide Farmers Markets, Brighton Markets, Adelaide Hill markets and not forgetting our world-famous Adelaide Central Markets.
Usually, there is less packaging, paper bags and often bulk food bins which save waste and money.
I really hope we never lose these local stores and markets as I don’t really like the alternative options.
Greenery for a Green Home
I love any excuse to buy plants- especially indoor plants.
Potted plants act as natural air filters by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the kitchen.
Whether you are a green thumb with loads of lush greenery or just like a few potted herbs on the window sill, plants will give you happy fresh air-
The more the merrier!
Low VOC Paint-
When repainting try to use paint that is low in VOC’s (or free of) – Volatile Organic Compounds.
VOC’s are gases, some of which are toxic, that are emitted from products such as wall paint, paint stripper, cleaning supplies as well as some carpets.
This information is usually printed on the paint tin or product.
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I am really passionate about making a change for our children and grandchildren (I’m STILL waiting for my grandbabies!)
If I’ve inspired you just a little to adapt some of these ideas I will be thrilled and so will the planet.
Thanks for reading and happy composting!