SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Kitchens can be a big burden on the environment, from the type of food cooked most often to water usage and the waste from different products. It's difficult to not use the kitchen, so here are a few simple ways to make it more eco-friendly.
1. Reusable Coffee Filters or Loose Leaf Tea Holders
Using a cloth or stainless steel coffee filter can help cut down on waste from a batch of coffee. If you're a tea drinker, using a stainless steel steeper for loose leaf tea is a way to be less wasteful than using tea bags. The loose leaf tea can then be composted after use.
2. Reusable Paper Towels and Wipes
Paper towels are very convenient, but they account for a lot of waste in the kitchen. Investing in reusable cloths are a much better option that can be used for napkins, paper towels and cleaning wipes.
3. Make Your Own Cleaners
Making your own cleaner is not only better for the environment, but also your health. Besides buying plastic bottles over and over that end up in landfills, most store-bought cleaners are full of chemicals that stay in the environment for a while and we inhale them when we use them in our homes. Here are two recipes for non-toxic kitchen cleaners that you can easily make in a reusable bottle.
4. Biodegradable Trash Bags
The trash bags most people use for garbage can take decades to decompose in landfills. Biodegradable trash bags are made from plant materials so they can be composted. They're better for the environment as they will break down much faster than plastic bags.
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