From switching to energy-efficient light bulbs to using green products, being environmentally friendly in your home can go a long way to protecting the earth. There are plenty of simple ways you can do your part to reduce your impact on the environment – and your pocketbook – in your kitchen.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Waste from product packaging makes up a third or more of the trash people create. It uses up resources, such as fuel used to transport trash, and takes up
space in landfills. These easy tips can help you reduce waste.

1. Less is more. Prepare the right amount of food and store leftovers safely. Reach for products that have less packaging or buy items in bulk and store
them in reusable packaging.

2. Buy basic kitchen tools – but not every specialty gadget. The basic kitchen tools are all you need to prepare a wide variety of delicious, healthful meals.

3. Cut back on disposables. Use refillable water bottles.

4. Reuse packaging when possible. Wash empty plastic containers and jars with soap and water; use them to store leftovers or bulk foods.

5. Take your own shopping bags. Take reusable, paper, plastic or canvas shopping bags with you to the grocery store.

6. Reach for recyclables. Buy items that carry the recycling symbol when shopping. Then be sure to recycle them! Steel food cans boast the highest recycling rate of all food packages in the U.S. They’re made of 100% recyclable steel.

7. Take part in community efforts. Get information on your local community recycling program and which items they accept. Cardboard, aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bags and bottles and newspapers are often accepted recyclable items.


Conserve Energy, Food and Water
Conservation not only allows you to do your part to protect the environment, it can also help you save money on your utility bills. Follow these simple guidelines to conserve energy, food and water in your kitchen.

1. Use appliances efficiently. Turn them off when you don’t need them. Cook in smaller appliances such as slow cookers and microwave ovens. Use smaller pots and pans. Keep refrigerator and oven doors closed.

2. Save energy when cooking. Prepare casseroles and other one-dish meals that let you cook the whole meal in the oven or on the burner at one time. For
ease – just open a can or two and mix in canned ingredients.

3. Cut down on preheating time. Preheat the oven just before you need to use it.

4. Repair dripping faucets. One drop per second can waste 700 gallons of water over the course of a year.

5. Fill up the dishwasher. Save water by running the dishwasher only when it is full.

6. Turn off the water. If you have enough in the sink or are not using the water, turn off the faucet.

7. Buy only what you need. Buy only enough food that you can use before it spoils. Proper storage can help you ensure that food stays fresh. Unopened canned foods aren’t perishable, as fresh and frozen foods are.

8. Prepare properly. Burned or poorly prepared food can end up in the trash, so plan ahead and follow recipe instructions carefully.

9. Use a compost bin. Add scraps like corn husks and apple cores, then use the compost in your garden.



*Above copy adapted from Food, Nutrition & Wellness by Roberta Duyff, Woodland Hills, CA: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2010