4 Tips For A Zero Waste Kitchen
As we become increasingly conscious of our environmental impact, it is important that we make lifestyle choices reflective of this.
One of the simplest ways to do so is to evaluate the waste we create – the average household disposes of 215kg of food scraps every year! – and create smart solutions to ensure we are being mindful of it.
We’ve put together a list of our top tips for transforming your kitchen into a waste-free zone!
Compost your food scraps
The first thing that may come to mind when reading the word ‘compost’ is a smelly, unattractive, often overflowing bin you might find down the very back of your yard.
Composting does not need to be this unattractive. Keeping a small composting bin under the sink, or beside your waste bin, reserved for fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags and even shredded paper, is the simplest way to reduce everyday food waste.
When it comes to composting, it is important that your scraps enjoy ventilation, so choosing a bin with air holes in the lid, or simply using a bucket are your best options.
Introduce a recycling bin
So much of the packaged food we buy comes wrapped in plastic, and boxed in cardboard. Making a conscious effort to separate recyclable materials from general waste can have a huge impact on the environment.
Thanks to the Return & Earn scheme, you’re lucky to enjoy a 10c rebate on your bottles and cans, so stash these away for a hefty rainy day return!
Reusable products
Switching out single-use plastics like saran wrap and zip-lock bags for reusable glass containers and beeswax wrap is not only good for the environment, it’s also good for your pocket.
Investing in quality containers, water bottles and wraps saves on plastic and money waste, and in some cases can also ensure your food remains fresher for longer.
Embrace food sustainability
This concept can be as broad or as narrow as you choose it to be, but one of the simplest ways to be sustainable when it comes to food is to grow and prepare your own.
Planting a veggie patch in your backyard, or something even smaller like a herb planter on your window sill are two ways to embrace sustainability, whilst saving money.
Other sustainability efforts you can make at home include:
- Introducing a meat-free day of eating
- Avoiding purchasing foods wrapped in single-use plastics
- Choosing food products based on their environmental impact, and where they are grown
- Making your own chicken and vegetable stocks
- Making use of the whole vegetable, like making carrot tops and fennel stalks into dips and pesto
Dreaming of turning your house into a zero-waste home? Get a jumpstart with a new kitchen! Visit an Apollo showroom today.
