green cooking

Betty Knows: Green Your Kitchen!

by Betty on March 5, 2014

[Originally seen in Echo — a local monthly newspaper]

 

Are you looking for ways to green your life? It’s easy! Reducing your environmental footprint doesn’t have to be challenging; in fact, Better World Betty specializes in making eco-living actions fast, easy, and fun. Throughout 2014, we’ll go through each area of your home and give you quick tips on how to up the green factor.

First up? Your KITCHEN:

  • Cooking: Put a lid on pots and pans while cooking – it can reduce energy use and time for boiling/cooking by 50%. Use a convection oven if you have one – they’re 23% more efficient than traditional ovens. Use slow cookers and pressure cookers instead of the stovetop when you can – they use one-third the energy!
  • Food: Buy local whenever possible (to reduce the carbon footprint of your food). Reduce your consumption of red meat (extremely resource-intensive). Purchase Virginia wines, and recycle the cork through Re-Cork Cville (recorkcville.com).
  • Compost: Mix kitchen scraps like fruit, veggies, and coffee grounds with dry leaves and grass clippings in a bin. Regularly rotate to form rich, organic compost for your garden. You can save an average of 832lbs of CO2 each year!
  • Garbage Bags: Avoid conventional plastic bags – they never biodegrade. Instead, choose an option that is 100% biodegradable.
  • Dishwasher: Run full loads. Fun fact: Energy Star dishwashers use less water than hand washing, so let technology help you out (and remember to buy Energy Star appliances)!

Want more tips? Visit betterworldbetty.org/homemenu for ideas, and take the pledge to green your home!



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