The evidence of climate change is all around us, from droughts in Africa to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events across America, Europe and beyond. The effect can be catastrophic upon communities, and the people who live within them, and the scientific evidence overwhelmingly proves that humankind is one of the major contributors to this damaging climate change. Thankfully, increasing numbers of people are becoming aware of this and are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt a greener lifestyle. There’s no better place to start with this than at home and in the kitchen, so here are four simple yet effective ways to make your kitchen more environmentally friendly.
1. Separate Your Recycling
The need to reduce carbon footprints, on a personal and global level, has never been more important, which is why the need to recycle as much as we can has never been more important. The kitchen provides more opportunities to recycle than probably anywhere else in your home, so find out exactly what materials can be recycled in your area. Obvious recyclables include glass, cardboard, paper, and tin, but you may also be able to recycle old aluminum foil and more. It saves time if you separate these recyclables as you go, so have containers ready in your kitchen for each recycling category. Separating it at source in this way is also a great way to ensure that you don’t forget to recycle items at a later stage.
2. Avoid Single-Use Plastic
Climate change is the major environmental threat facing the planet today, but it’s not the only one, and it’s not the only one caused by humans. Plastic pollution is an eco-disaster that is happening right now, and plentiful evidence can be found on our beaches and in our seas. It’s particularly dangerous to avian and marine life, as birds and aquatic creatures eat this discarded plastic but can’t digest it or gain nutrients from it, causing starvation. That’s why it’s essential that we avoid single-use plastic wherever possible, so keep a close watch on plastic coming into your kitchen. Choose paper straws rather than plastic straws, and only buy kitchen goods and cleaning items that are fully recyclable rather than being made of plastic destined for landfill.
3. Use Greener Coffee Pods
Coffee is one of the world’s favorite drinks, which is why coffee machines made by the likes of Nespresso and Keurig are so popular. They use coffee pods to serve up delicious espresso and latte drinks, but not all coffee pods are the same. Many pod manufacturers use plastic components, making the coffee pods non-recyclable and a danger to the environment. Using pods from a company that produces a greener product as well as delicious coffee can make a big difference. Gourmesso is one such company as their pods are made from bio-based materials that are completely compostable. With the five varieties of either Nespresso pods or K-cup machines pods, you’re sure to find one that’s just right for you.
4. Increase Your Energy Efficiency
An energy-efficient kitchen is a greener kitchen, so try to cut down energy usage and energy loss. Heat loss through windows is one of the major sources of energy loss in the home, so combat this by installing double or triple glazed windows in your kitchen and throughout your property. When buying electrical goods for your kitchen, select ones that have an excellent energy rating, as this can significantly reduce both your carbon footprint and your utility bills.
These four steps are simple ones to take, but they can make a real difference to how green your home is, and that can make a big difference to our world as a whole. As the flavor-filled Gourmesso compostable coffee pods show, using greener options doesn’t have to reduce our enjoyment, it’s simply about taking a more environmentally friendly approach to our world and the way we interact with it.
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