Living green is not just a noble goal. It is becoming rapidly an essential goal, vital to our planet and precious to our personal integrity.

Green is the philosopy of life that is expressed in million ways like when we say, 'making a small footprint' or 'living lightly on Earth'. It principally boils down to taking Nature, Gaia, Earth and our environment into consideration when fulfilling our own needs, the ideal being that we fulfill our needs without much effect upon the Earth. We should live in harmony with Nature and our planet, not in conflict.

This living should extent to all parts of our life including the kitchen. Here are some tips on how you can be environmentally friendly in the kitchen:

Contents 1 Cookware 2 Stoves 3 Appliances 4 Grocery Shopping 5 Cooking 6 Cleaning 7 Recycle 8 Remodelling

[edit] Cookware

• Choose cookware and utensils that stand the test of time.
• Go for stainless steel or cast iron instead. Though a bit of an investment, a good cast iron skillet will last for generations.
• Choose sturdy utensils rather than cheap ones; low-quality wooden spoons, for example, can rot, and plastic will melt if you leave it on the stove too long.
• Buy high-quality knives that you can sharpen by hand.
• Use long-lasting cloth towels instead of paper ones.

[edit] Stoves

• Gas stoves offer instant-on heat, and doesn't waste much heat when the cooking is done. Also the temperature control is easier to maintain. When buying the stove, look for the lowest British Thermal Unit (BTU) output as this is the most energy-efficient stove of the lot.

• Electric stoves use induction elements that transfer electromagnetic energy directly to the pan, leaving the cook-top fairly cool to the touch. These stoves use less than half the energy of conventional coil stoves. The only drawback is the these type of stoves require cookware made of stainless steel, cast iron or enameled iron.

• The third kind of stoves come with ceramic glass surfaces and uses halogen as the source of heat. They heat up almost instantly and respond quickly to any temperature changes. The only drawback is they require cookware that are constantly in contact with the cook-tops.

[edit] Appliances

Research has shown that less energy is wasted when energy efficient appliances are used. For example, washing dishes by hand actually wastes more water than washing dishes in a dishwasher.

• Always keep your appliances well maintained.
• Unplug them from the electrical sockets when not in used.
• When appliances need replacement, don't just throw the old one out on the curb. Donate them. There are many charities that accept broken appliances, as long as they can be fixed.
• There are also take-back programs offered by the manufacturing companies.
• Always buy appliances with the Energy Star rating.
• Keep the refrigerator door open only as long as required to conserve energy.
• Wash clothes at full loads in the washing machine to save water and energy.
• Use low temperatures on the washing machine to conserve water and energy.
• User energy saving lightbulbs in the kitchen to conserve energy and keep the utility bills to a minimum.

[edit] Grocery Shopping

• Always make a list when going grocery shopping. This way you will not buy excessive food that will go to waste.
• Buy unwrapped fruit and vegetables as much as possible.
• Carry a tote bag to do the shopping. A cloth, hemp or jute bag now come in various designs and colors. It is also washable.
• If you do prefer plastic bags, re-use them. Clean and wash the bags and take them along to the grocery.
• Buy organic groceries. Look around your city to find a local farmer that can provide fresh fruits and vegetables. There are also farmers that sell organic meat. Some have been known to deliver if the quantity is large.
• Buy in bulk. This not only reduces the carbon footprint, but saves money and also reduces excess packaging.

[edit] Cooking

• Cook in an energy efficient way.
• Think ahead when preparing food.
• Use the oven for more than one dish.
• When cooking on stoves, use the right size pots and pans to minimize energy loss.
• Cover food with lids to maximize the energy and lower the time of cooking.
• Pressure cookers cut down nearly 70% wastage of energy and minimize the cooking time.
• Use a microwave to cut down energy to 80%, while simultaneously reducing the energy. It is also a healthy way to cook since it requires very little oil while cooking.
• Cook in bulk. There are many dishes that preserve well. Search online to check out which items taste better with age. Gumbo, soup etc are just some of the dishes.
• Don't super-size your dishes. Cook enough to feed your family or in fact, a little less than required. Use fresh fruits as fillers.
• Eat more home cooked meals than prepared meals. The processing food is filled with harmful preservatives that create all sorts of health problems. This is especially true for children.
• Don't overfill the kettle. When making tea for one, only use that amount of water. If you're making tea for two, use that amount and so on. Overfilling the kettle wastes needless energy.
• Don't let food cool down before refrigeration as it encourages the growth of bacteria.
• Use an ice bath to cool food down as it saves energy. But don't do this in the sink as the sink is unhygenic and most definitely not germ free.

• Don't throw aways excess food. Make a compost of your organic waste including cardboard and paper. If you have plants around the house, you can use this home-made compost to give your plant a nutrient boost. Else look around your city to find organizations that will accept the compost or even the orangic waste.

[edit] Cleaning

• Use home-made ingredients to clean your kitchen. A little baking soda and vinegar does wonders, is not toxic and leaves the kitchen looking sparkling clean.
• Don't pour oils, fats and hazardous cleaning solutions down the drain. It ends up in the seas and rivers and causes pollution.

[edit] Recycle

• Recycle your thrash. Bottles, plastic containers, jars etc can all be re-used in the house.
• Separate your thrash into paper, bottles and plastic. Take them to a nearby recycling plant. You can earn a few bucks while saving the environment.

[edit] Remodelling

• If you are going to remodel your kitchen, check the market for green materials like countertops made from recycled paper, bamboo and cork flooring etc.