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5 ways to make your kitchen more green and eco-friendly
- Touseef Hussain
Nowadays, creating a more eco-friendly home is a priority for many homeowners who are 
more focused than ever before on their health and the environment. So what ways can you make your household more environmentally friendly? Here are 5 ways to give your kitchen a touch of green.
Choose green flooring and cabinets
If your kitchen is in need of a makeover then eco-friendly products such as bamboo are an excellent way to give your kitchen a new look at the same time as using renewable materials. Bamboo creates a light and bright aesthetic and can be worked into your flooring and cabinetry. Alternatively, choose recycled timbers for flooring and look to the classifieds, or even free-cycle, for previously loved cabinetry.
Upgrade your appliances
As consumer demand for more energy efficient solutions explodes, so too does the number of new and improved appliances hitting the store shelves. Manufacturers continue to improve efficiency in fixtures such as dishwashers, fridges and washing machines to name but a few. Remember, when upgrading your appliances it's important to not only compare energy ratings but also the quality of the appliance; how long will it last? When you purchase a premium product it won't need to be disposed of as soon as an inferior model, and that means less manufacturing and less waste.
Break old habits
For a more eco-friendly approach to your daily cooking, consider rethinking your meal plans around the use of the oven. A meal that consists of roast vegetables and meat will make full use of the energy consumed by the oven, as opposed to roasting the meat and using the stovetop to boil vegetables. Essentially, if you turn on the oven then look for more ways than one to use all that gas or electricity. If you are particularly keen on saving energy then why not add in a meal once or twice a week that doesn't require heat, such as salads, gourmet sandwiches or even cold baked vegetables left over from the night before.
Room for recycling
The kitchen is renowned for generating a large amount of rubbish both from food scraps and from the plethora of packaging that food is presented in. Selecting products that are light on packaging and that use materials that are recyclable is a great place to start. To ensure all recycled materials make it back to the recycling plant ensure you dedicate enough room in your kitchen for recycling bins. Without enough space dedicated to recycling it's all too tempting to dump everything into the general waste bin. Look for a large, easy to clean receptacle to place recycled waste in and give it a roomy and easy to reach location in the kitchen or adjoining room such as the laundry. If it's easy to recycle then everyone is more likely to do it more often.
Clean and green
Avoiding toxic cleaners is a priority when it comes to keeping your home eco-friendly and maintaining good health. However, that doesn't mean your kitchen can't be sparkling clean. There is an abundance of green cleaning products on offer these days that are plant-based, or simply whip up your own natural option using everyday ingredients such as baking soda combined with vinegar.
By implementing these 5 green and eco-friendly tips for your kitchen, you will be well on your way to reduced energy bills, improved health and a better environment for us all, and that's what makes it all worth it.
Tauseef Hussain is a media blogger and writes for Designer Enclosures for Washrooms.
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