Ways to Green Your Kitchen

See More Abouteco-friendlylearning to cookcooking tipsThe cooking equipment you invest in, and how you use it, can go a long way in helping you conserve water, energy and other resources, cut down on toxins, reduce waste, and generally be more environmentally responsible. Use these tips to cook in a more sustainable way, with less impact on the environment.
Keep your fridge and freezer full. Having more food in your refrigerator and freezer can actually help it run more efficiently by helping it to Teflon Coatings maintain the proper temperature. If you truly can't keep the refrigerator full, fill empty space with bottles of water to help keep it cold. The appliance will use less electricity, which is always good for the environment, and you'll even shave a few dollars off your monthly bill!Compost food scraps. Start a compost pile in a corner of your backyard for food scraps, and use a kitchen composter to collect the scraps until you can take a load out to your pile. Putting food in the garbage contributes to the release of methane gas in landfills, which is a damaging greenhouse gas. By composting your food, you'll be diverting it from the landfill and turning it into a rich, nutrient-filled substance that you can add to the soil in your garden. As a bonus point, the compost you create for your garden is better for the environment than chemical fertilizers and other artificial soil additives. If you don't compost, the next best green alternative for disposing of food scraps is in the disposal, as many water treatment plants are able to turn the slurry of food scraps into biogas that is then used as a form of power.Shorten preheating time. Certain foods, such as baked potatoes, casseroles, and roasted vegetables don't require an oven to be fully preheated before you put them in. You can get a head start on cooking, and not waste the energy that's being used to preheat an empty oven, by putting them into the oven right when you turn it on. Also, for more forgiving recipes, you can turn the oven off a few minutes before it's finished cooking; the oven will retain heat for quite some time. Shortening the amount of time that you oven is actually turned on will help save energy.Use earth-friendly nonstick. Non Stick Coating Safety Traditional nonstick-coated cookware is made using chemicals, including PFOA, a known toxin that is used in the production of the coatings. Although PFOA only remains in trace amounts in the finished product, it has been found to persist in the environment and in the bloodstreams of much of the US population, which is concerning since the chemical has been found to cause developmental effects in laboratory animals. While the EPA has been working with chemical companies to reduce, and eventually eliminate, the use of PFOA, you can also find nonstick surfaces that are made with much safer materials. Bialetti Aeternum, for instance, is a ceramic coating, and Swiss Diamond, as the name suggests, uses a coating derived from powdered diamonds.Use your dishwasher- and fill it up.  Environmentalists have long debated whether washing dishes by hand or in a dishwasher has a lower impact. And according to a recent study, it turns out that using a dishwasher uses less water and energy (not to mention time!). To be even more sustainable, be sure to run the dishwasher only when it’s filled to capacity, and turn off the heat dryer setting (or, if you can’t control this on your machine, wait for the rinse cycle to finish and then turn off and open the dishwasher so that dishes will air dry.Use reusable containers for leftovers and packed meals and snacks.  Cut down on waste by eliminating the use of plastic wraps and bags, and aluminum foil. Instead, stock up on reusable containers (look for glass or BPA-free plastic) to store leftovers or to pack lunches and snacks.Buy recycled (and recyclable) utensils and other gear. (Check out these eco-friendly kitchen products) There is a wide variety of sustainably made kitchenware on the market today, from bamboo fiber dishtowels to cutting boards made from recycled paper to mixing bowls made from recycled plastic. Next time you’re on the market for a kitchen item, look for something made from sustainable or recyclable materials. You can also seek out Ceramic Coatings companies that you know have a green message, such as using a minimum of packaging, donating money to environmental or social causes, or using wind power or other green energy sources. By supporting such products and brands, you can feel good about your purchase knowing that it’s been created with the environment in mind.Eco-friendly productsReview: Original Spaghetti ScrubReview: Epicurean Cutting BoardsReview: Misto Olive Oil SprayerGreen QuestionsHow do I dispose of used cooking oil?What is PFOA?Are Wooden Spoons Sanitary?Related ArticlesTips to Green the Kitchen VideoCooking Safety - Kitchen SafetyKitchen Makeover - Simple Ways to do a Kitchen MakeoverTop Tips to Save Energy in the KitchenEnergy Saving Tips for Home: Easy and Inexpensive