There are LOTS of things you can do in your kitchen that are green, but also cheap (which we’re all looking for in this economy). Let’s get right to it:
1) Unplug all small appliances not in use. They are phantom energy users. I unplug my toaster and coffee maker unless I am using them.
2) Install sink faucet aerators on your sink to save on water usage.
3) Run your dishes on the “light” setting (as opposed to heavy duty) and let them air dry instead of heat dry.
4) Cook using your microwave or a crockpot. Both use much less energy than your stove…and the bonus is the crockpot adds some heat to the house in the winter.
5) Keep small recycling bins in your kitchen. We have one for paper, one for plastics/glass and a small compost container. Our large containers are in the garage. When we use the small containers and wait for them to be full before taking them to the garage, we’ll be saving heat from opening the door once instead of multiple times.
6) Use homemade, cheap and green kitchen cleaners…some great “recipes” can be found here. You can make your own healthy, green cleaners for pennies.
7) Use stainless steel cookware. Teflon pans are easier, but if the teflon gets scratched or there is a break in the treflon surface, those chemicals are released into your food. Stainless steel is more expensive, but a better buy in the long run instead of replacing the cheap teflon pans that’ll end up in a landfill.
8) Switch to an extra absorbent kitchen towel. I have two from Trader Joe’s. Great for wiping up small spills, washable and reusable. They’ve saved me a ton of money by using them instead of paper towels, not to mention eliminating the waste. And speaking of paper towels, we use a regular kitchen towel that hangs on the oven to dry hands after washing- not paper towels.
9) If you can afford the investment, get a small, energy star freezer. This is great for leftovers, cooking ahead and freezing and stocking up good deals from the grocery store.
And the groceries…well, that’s another post altogether!
What other kinds of things do you do in your kitchen that are cheap and green?
Christine Plumer is a 30-something mom, wife and art teacher. She writes about her attempts at frugality while living green and eating healthier at Living Cheap and Green.
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Great post…very informative. Now I just have to get small recycle bins for inside.
I do have a question? Are paper towels recyclable? We quit buying them a while back and I am missing them!
I really want to give up paper towel in the New Year…I am seriously addicted to paper towels!
I don’t think paper towels are recyclable but they may be compostable…I’ll have to look into that!
We compost. No food scraps go into our garbage can, which cuts down on waste, and instead all of that organic matter ends up back in our kitchen the following summer when we use the compost n our organic vegetable garden.
Truthfully, no discussion of a green kitchen is complete without a really critical look at what you eat. My family is vegetarian, and we made this choice because of the enormous impact that eating meat has on climate change — even more of an impact than which car you drive. Recycling ziplocks or unplugging appliances are great things to do, but it is essential that we reduce our consumption of meat.
[…] Keeping it Cheap and Green: Kitchen Edition - Some simple tips for keeping your kitchen a bit greener. […]
Be careful with the crock pots… I heard there were a number of them with higher lead levels. :-( I’m not sure how to find one that I can be sure is safe… I still need to do some research on that.
@ Kelly
Really? Mine is probably full of lead, then, because it’s super old. Crap!
Hi - a couple of comments regarding paper towels. Even if they are recyclable, it’s better not to use them…(first) reduce, (if not possible, then) reuse, (if not possible, then) recycle. Secondly, the gauze cloth diapers you can buy in baby stores make GREAT clean-up cloths that are uniform size, very absorbent and easy to wash.
Although homemade kitchen cleaners are a very sustainable, green way to keep clean, if you’re not into concocting your own cleaning products there are a few companies out there that research and test green cleaning products for consumers and sell them bundles for convenience.
GreenCupboards.com is a great example of a company that really takes this to heart. They gather, test, and certify the best of the products on the market for bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room cleaning. They don’t make their own products, and they are independently owned and operated–so you know their testing is legit.
http://www.greencupboards.com
You really don’t have to concoct any cleaners in your home. You can use things you already have in your cupboards for cleaning. Besides reducing the chemicals in your home and the plastic containers it is much CHEAPER! I use lemon juice, salt, baking soda, and vinegar. Baking soda is great for scrubbing. Salt and lemon juice will clean copper like magic. Mix some vinegar and baking soda in your sink and it cleans and shines. Baking soda cleans out the fridge and microwave and won’t damage the finish. Besides it absorbs odors. I use baking soda and vinegar to clean my oven.
I have all of these items in my cupboards so there is no need to spend any more money on chemical products in the store. There are a million uses for these items. I just named a few.
If you wash out your zip lock bags you can get several uses out of them. I also save any containers my food comes in, like cottage cheese or mushrooms and tomatoes. I reuse those items in my home for a million different uses. Like planting seeds for my garden, painting bowls for the kids finger paint, to store everyday items in and for storing leftovers. Reuse what you can and not only are you saving the earth you are saving your dollars.
I learned so many ways to reduce and reuse from my Grandmother. She lived through the depression and never not ever throws away a thing if she can use it somewhere else. I have found a way to reuse material that my local thrift store cannot sell. I purchase all of the donated material that cannot resale then I make reusable shopping bags out of them. I know there are other ways I can save and be green, and I am working on these ways everyday. I think more people would become greener if they knew how much of their money they could save by doing so. I think that this should be a focus, especially now with the economy the way it is.