Celebrate Green Blog

by Lynn and Corey

See end of post for answers to yesterday’s quiz. If you haven’t taken it yet, go here, then come back for the answers.

So how do you green your kitchen other than buying organic food?

Here are a few of the areas to consider:

Energy use

If you’re updating or building a kitchen, of course, one of the most important considerations is energy usage. The best way to keep your electric bill low is to choose Energy Star appliances.

Energy Star is a program of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) which certifies certain products that meet energy efficient standards. When it comes to appliances, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers are rated, among many other products.

As an example, (from the website): ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators are required to use 20% less energy than models not labeled with the ENERGY STAR logo. Choose a new qualified model rather than a non-qualified model and cut your energy bills by $165 over the lifetime of your fridge.

Recycled, recyclable, durable

Whatever you choose to use in your kitchen, Remember the 3R’s−

• Can you reduce the number you buy? (Instead of buying a huge set of plastic storage containers, could you plan to use some glass jars that you get for free when you buy the product?)
• Can you reuse rather than buy new? (Avoid buying goods like paper towels, napkins and picnicware are used once then tossed)
• Can you choose items (like cutting boards, glassware, implements etc.) made from recycled materials? Or recycle the items you’re purchasing?

Don’t forget that the 3Rs are listed in order of importance. The best way to go is to reduce what you buy.

We’d also like to suggest if you’re stuck on how to reduce what you buy, that you check out Bea Johnson’s Zero Waste Home for inspiration.

Health: non-leaching, non-toxic, chemical free

When it comes to the health of our families, the kitchen should be home to our best practices. Unfortunately, chemicals that may cause serious problems seem to be everywhere.

80,000 chemicals in use in the U.S. with 2,000 introduced every year. Toxicity information is known on less than 2% of them. Only a fraction are regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.

What to do? Become aware. Learn what types of materials cause problems and try to eliminate them from your kitchen. More info here, here, here, here, here.

Happily, many perfectly great substitutes are available. Here are a few we use:

What substitutes have you made for a healthier, more environmentally friendly kitchen?

Answers to yesterday’s quiz.

1. A load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher requires what percentage LESS water than washing dishes by hand ? Answer: 37 percent
2. Kitchen appliances account for what percentage of the average energy bill? Answer: 12%
3. How many refrigerators are disposed of in the U.S. every year? Answer: 9 million (90% of used refrigerators in the U.S. are shredded for metal, with the remaining 10% of foam and other materials going to the landfill.)
4. Paper waste (including packing from food), makes up what percentage of total material filling up landfills) Answer: 35%
5. Speaking of food, this one may not sound relevant, but it’s fun The average American consumes how many times his/her body weight (although if you believe that healthy people=a healthy planet, then we might want to consider this figure) in food in a year? Answer: 10 times

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.