10 ideas to "green" your kitchen

Many of us are looking for ways to improve the sustainability of our homes and our kitchen is a great place to start. Here are 10 easy ideas to get you started.

Top ways to make your kitchen more eco-friendly

1. Use beeswax wrap for storing food.  Reusable beeswax wrap is more sustainable than single use plastic wrap.
2. Swap paper towels for a reusable sponge - this will save paper and reduce the amount of waste that you produce each day.
3. Reuse single-use items when possible - some items are labeled as ‘single use’, but they can, in fact, be reused a couple of times. For example, aluminum foil can often be used more than once.
4. Swap plastic grocery bags for reusable ones that you bring with you to the store.
5. Wait until your dishwasher is full before you run it. Instead of running your dishwasher with just a few plates, waiting until it’s full means you need to run it less often and minimizes your water usage.
6. Say goodbye to the disposable plates and cutlery that come with takeout food.   Let the restaurant know that you do not need utensils and use your own plates and cutlery instead.
7. Switch plastic straws for reusable metal straws or try going straw-less.
8. Recycle as much as possible. Recycling your plastic and cardboard waste will help to make your kitchen more sustainable.
9. Use LED lighting. Compared to halogen bulbs, LED bulbs are better for the environment and more sustainable. They last longer than halogen bulbs and use less energy.
10. Use energy-efficient kitchen appliances as this will minimize your energy usage, helping both the environment and your bank account!