How to be Green in the Kitchen.

GPI · Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 12:36 pm Post subject: How to be Green in the Kitchen.

How to be Green in the Kitchen.
By Stephanie Manley

You may ask what being green means. It means being kind to our environment. There are many things you can do in your kitchen to be green, save the environment. You have the ability to do good for your environment, save energy, and eat healthier by changing a few habits in your kitchen. Changing from papertowels, where you can, to cloth towels saves the environment. Using greener vegetables such as organic vegetables helps save on energy because pesticides aren't needed. You can also save energy by switching to energy efficient bulbs and cleaning the refrigerator coils so your refridgerator runs more efficiently.

Even if you use recycled paper towels you are still filling the environment with waste for the landfills. The paper towels still end up in landfills, and there is nothing gained by using recycled papertowels. You may want to consider using paper towels for greasy clean ups only. Use cloth towels to dry your hands, to wipe down counters, and for most clean up jobs. Scaling back on the use of paper towels will do good for the environment as there will be less resources going to the land fill. You may also want to consider using cloth napkins for many of the same reasons. You can buy these inexpensively at a restaurant supply place or a warehouse club store.

Organic vegetables, fruits, and milk products aren't exotic anymore. Even Wal Mart sells organic milk products, vegetables, and fruits. Buying organic where you can helps to save on the environment since no pesticides or insecticides are use in the making of these products. You actually encourage smaller farmers, and operations by buying organic. You don't have to go totally green, if cost is a concern simply buy organic where you can. As organics become more popular the prices go down. So consider buying organic where you are able.

There are many other ways to save money and the environment in your kitchen. Put in water saver taps. You can still wash your dishes, fill your pots, and operate like you normally do without any adverse effects. You can switch to energy saving light bulbs, these have come down tremendously in the last few years, and best of all they last much longer than the older style lasted. Be sure to clean your refrigerator coils on the back of your refrigerator so your refrigerator runs more efficiently.

There are so many things we can do to help save energy in our kitchen. You have the power as the individual to make positive changes for the environment. These are just a few of the ways you can do good for the environment.

Stephanie writes many more articles at http://stephaniemanley.typepad.com
She is also the editor for CopyKat recipes - you have tried it in the restaurant, now make it at home. http://www.copykat.com
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