Green Kitchen Tips for Earth Day

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My poor friends. So many of my conversations these days begin with, "So I listened to this really great podcast about....."  

I'll admit it.  I'm a bit obsessed with podcasts. Particularly The Lively Show.  So many of Jess's episodes have given me tidbits of wisdom, spurred self reflection, or changed my perspective.

About a year ago, I listen to this episode about a zero waste lifestyle.  It really challenged me to think about ways to eliminate waste.  Over the past several months, I've taken some small steps to reduce the amount of stuff that I throw away.  Although I still have a long way to go, in honor of earth day, I thought I would share some of the steps I've been taking along with my future goals.

What I'm doing now: 

1. Replacing paper napkins with cloth napkins. Cloth napkins are so pretty!  And this method saves money. It does add some extra laundry, but since napkins are pretty much the easiest thing to fold, it hasn't felt like a lot of extra work.

2. Reusing ziplock bags, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap. As you'll see down below, I want to eventually eliminate all of these items from my kitchen, but for the time being, I've been reusing them as much as I can to limit how much I throw away. 

3. Using plastic or glass containers instead of aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Another easy swap! The small plastic containers are great for snacks. 

4. Recycling.  You're probably doing this one already too. It's easy, especially if someone collects your recycling. When we went on vacation to the mountains over Christmas, the place we stayed did not have recycling. So, like the crazy person that I am, I brought 4 trash bags full of recycling in the car home with us. 

5. Using reusable grocery bags. I keep the grocery bags in the trunk of my car. Although I initially forgot them almost every time, I would make myself walk back to the car to get them. The more you do it, the more easily you will remember.

Future Goals: 

1. Replace plastic wrap with this bee's wrap. It's washable, reusable, and compostable. (I was inspired by this post.)

2. Replace paper towels. I need to buy some cheap washcloths and keep them under my kitchen sink to start to replace paper towels. There's more helpful info about that process in this post.

3. Buy reusable snack bags.  I want these pretty ones. 

4. Buy a silpat silicone non-stick baking mat for cookies. This will eliminate the need for wax paper when making cookies. :)

5. Start composting. This is hard if you're a renter like me, but I'm going to start doing some research. 

I think to avoid being overwhelmed, it's good to implement these changes one at a time. As you become comfortable with one, you can add in another.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of these methods/products. 

Happy belated Earth Day!