Are you eco-friendly?
Would you say that your kitchen is a green kitchen?
We all do some things that harm the environment. It is just a part of everyday life. Helping the environment doesn’t mean you need to build yourself an eco-friendly home in the woods and become completely self-sufficient (although you can go down this route if you want!) but it can also mean being a bit more careful about what you have and what you do in the kitchen.
Even small actions can make a big difference in the grand scheme of things and if everyone does their bit then our environment will be better off as a result.
At the Kitchen Warehouse LTD we take our surroundings seriously. This is why our solid oak replacement door range is sourced from sustainable forests throughout Europe.
So, how can you turn you room into a green kitchen?
Ditch The Energy Inefficient Appliances
One of the big methods of creating a green kitchen is to get rid of the appliances that waste the most energy.
When you buy a new appliance have a look to see what energy rating it has. Usually the cheaper you go the worse the rating will be. We aren’t saying that you need to go out and spend £200 on a kettle however if you can afford it then paying a little bit extra can result in having a much more energy efficient appliance for your green kitchen.
For example an eco kettle will use 20% less energy when boiling water and fridge with an A+++ rating will save nearly £200 in energy bills over it’s lifetime compared to a A+ model.
Be Smart About Food Storage
In the UK some 15 million tonnes of food is wasted every year. This is the highest in Europe and while many people will think this number comes from supermarkets and restaurants disposing of food they can’t sell the fact is that 42% of this figure comes from household waste.
If you really want a green kitchen then you need to cut down on the amount of food you waste. For example look at the proper way to store food. Many people simply put an open packet into the fridge however is this the best way to store it? Will it go off quicker?
Putting food into a tupperware box can really help to keep it fresher for longer. Similarly read the labels when it comes to sauces – putting these items into the fridge instead of the cupboard can help extend their life and cut down on the amount wasted every year.
Cook In A ‘Greener’ Way
Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly depending on how you look at it, a microwave uses less energy than an oven. Reheating food in the microwave instead of the oven for instance can cut down on energy waste.
While you probably don’t want to microwave everything – and a lot of food can’t be cooked in a microwave – preheating an oven is becoming obsolete. With newer models especially they reach maximum temperature that quickly that there is no need to preheat and waste energy. Also, when heating food on the hob try and use pots that are the same size as the rings. Using a 6-inch pot on a 8-inch ring on your cooker can waste nearly 40% of the heat.
In a green kitchen you want to get the most out of your cooking without wasting too much energy.
Finally… Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
How many times have you heard the word recycling? Probable more times than you care to remember. The reason we have put this in is because it is the most effective way in which you can create a green kitchen and a more environmentally friendly home.
You know the bins that your local council has provided you with to put in various items that can be recycled? Use them. It takes 75% less energy to create a new plastic bottle from an old recycled one that it does from new materials. Your food wastage can cost the UK £12.5bn per year if not recycled properly too.
Taking a little more care when it comes to what you put in each bin can have a drastic effect on the environment and help to create a more efficient green kitchen.
Creating A Green Kitchen
It actually doesn’t take much to make a green kitchen in your home.
The simple tips that we have outlined here will get you well on your way to a greener home. It doesn’t even require any massive changes in your lifestyle either – just thinking a bit more efficiently about what you use and how you use it can seriously reduce your wastage. It might seem OK to put a plastic bottle into the general waste bin however if everyone does this then it creates a problem.
At the Kitchen Warehouse LTD we like to emphasise the need for a green kitchen in this day and age. If everyone takes a few simple steps to change the way their kitchen operates then the whole world will be a better place for it.
Being green doesn’t mean giving up what you do now – it just means doing things a little bit differently.
