Tips for being Green

May 6, 2010

Everyone wants to be Green! Many people are beginning to understand the impact that their lifestyle choices are making on their personal health and our plant. As a result, they’re starting to seek ways to reduce their impact. The kitchen is a great place to start making changes! Taking baby steps is a more effective way of making lasting changes, so try adding one of the following steps at a time…

Here are a few tips to help you get more green:

  1. Start with what you bring into the kitchen. Buy as much food that is locally produced as you can so that fuel isn’t wasted trucking it to you. And forget the paper-or-plastic debate by sticking to reusable bags you take to the store.
  2. Skip the disposables. Whether it’s for a picnic or a party, opt for utensils, dishes and bake ware that can be reused to save on resources. Invest in a set of cloth napkins, and turn old sheets, towels or clothing into rags for cleaning by cutting them into small pieces.
  3. Keep it going. Adding a double waste pull-out into your kitchen makes it easy to recycle. One bin is used for trash and the other for recyclables. It becomes a no-brainer.
  4. Recycling saves a lot of items from heading to landfills, and reduces the amount of garbage at your curb each week. You can also reuse your raw vegetable left-overs and scraps by setting up a composting system and using the collected matter in your garden.
  5. Drink home water. Skip buying the bottles of water and invest in a water-filtration device for your kitchen. You’ll save a lot of money in the end and will avoid adding to the water-bottle problem our country faces.
  6. Clean green. Save money by using natural cleaning supplies and keep unnecessary chemicals out of the environment at the same time. Take a spray bottle and put equal parts water and distilled vinegar in it; this can be used as an all-purpose cleaner for everything from counters to sinks.
  7. Think big. When it’s time to buy new appliances, choose ones that are energy-efficient by specifically looking for the ENERGY STAR endorsement. ENERGY STAR is a government-backed initiative that ensures you’re buying an energy-efficient product. Bigger isn’t always better, especially if you don’t need the extra room. Smaller appliances will shave money off your bill each year.