In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d share some super-simple ways that we try to conserve in our home. Granted, there’s always more that you can do, but everyone can do their part, no matter what your living situation. So here is the first in the series about conservation in the kitchen–definitely my favorite room in the house!
In the Kitchen
- Buy bulk. Especially if you shop at Costco, the saving might be minimal, but you typically cut down on the amount of packaging when buying bulk items. We fill large glass jars with beans, flour, cornmeal, sugar, rice, and other dry goods–and they’re a great way to beautify the kitchen, too!
- Save your scraps. Unfortunately, we live in a tiny apartment so we can’t compost our raw fruit and veggie matter. But here’s something we do that I learned from my sweetie’s mom–and I really love it: Save yogurt containers and clear out a side shelf in your freezer. Line the shelf with the containers, and every time you prepare veggies, take one out and put it by your workspace. Then you just dump in all the veggie scraps, refreeze, and once you fill up 3 to 4 yogurt containers, make soup stock with it! The great thing about this is that not only are you conserving, but you’re creating yummy, healthy stock that you can then freeze or use immediately. I like to save our meat bones as well, then I roast them before adding to the stock pot to get a super rich, dark stock.
- Unplug appliances when not in use. Believe it or not, appliances zap a lot of energy from your home. Try unplugging the coffee maker after using it, and do the same for toasters, mixers, and other non-essentials.
- Buy local and start a garden. Sustainable agriculture begins in your backyard, and supporting your local farmers keeps you (and the economy) healthy!
- Ovens can be turned off after your dish has reach the halfway point on the timer. Just don’t open the door!
- Use canvas bags for grocery shopping. Many stores are switching to reusable bags now, and you even get a discount at some of them when you don’t need a plastic one.
I love recycling materials to make crafts, clothes, bags, and more. Even your plastic bags have fun, creative ways to be upcycled. Check out modish.typepad.com for some great ideas on upcycled goods. She’s a Portland local, and I love her site!
BeWaterWise Rep
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