Saving
Energy in the Kitchen - Refrigerator & Other Appliances
1. Keep your refrigerator full but not overstuffed.
Food retains cold better than air.
2. Try to open the fridge less frequently and don't
just leave it open.
3. Set your refrigerator close to 37 degrees F and freezer
to 3 degrees F. Clean refrigerator gaskets regularly
and vacuum the condenser coils once or twice per year.
4. Don't place the fridge in a warm area (like near
a heater or in direct sunlight).
5. Use Energy-Saving appliances. Check and compare
energy ratings before buying large appliances. These
tell you how many kilowatt hours of energy it uses per
month.
6. Fill your dishwasher as full as possible. Fewer big
loads save you money and save power. And, only wash
things in the sink if they can’t be washed in
the dishwasher (the machine uses less water and heat
than you would).
7. Use electric kettles to boil water which consume
half the energy needed to boil water on the stove.
8. Always cover pots when cooking to speed up process
and save energy. Water will boil more quickly if there
is a lid on the pan.
9. Use pressure cookers which use very little energy
and are best for food that is “low on the food
chain”.
10. Don’t waste energy preheating your oven,
most ovens don’t need it. For pastries and cakes,
preheating 10 minutes is plenty. You can also turn your
oven off 15 minutes early for major items like roasts
and casseroles — the heat left in the oven will
finish the job.
11. Turn down the heat after water boils. Lightly boiling
water is the same temperature as a roaring boil.
12. Cook food in glass dishes which are quicker than
metal pans. The bottom of your pan or pot should be
the same size as the burner to use the minimum amount
of energy.
13. Thaw food out before cooking. Cooking frozen foods
uses more energy.
Greener & Safer Living
- Food
1. Buy organic foods. Eating organically grown fruits
and vegetables doesn’t just reduce the amount
of pesticides getting released into the environment;
it’s also healthier for you, the farmers and food
handlers.
2. Buy locally grown, seasonal product from local farmers
market to cut down on environmental costs associated
with transporting produce to your community from great
distances. Local fruits and vegetables are fresher and
less likely to be waxed. Also, some imported produce
may have been treated with pesticides and chemicals
that have been banned in Canada and the U.S.
3. Eat less meat which reduces food-related land use
and water pollution problems. If you do eat meat, buy
free-range, organically raised meat and poultry products.
These have been raised humanely and on untreated feeds.
4. Cut excess fat off of meat and poultry and avoid
high fat dairy products. Many chemicals released into
the environment are stored in fat tissue and are cumulative.
5. Buy fish that are not caught or farmed in ways that
harm the environment.
6. Eat lower on the food chain — fruit and vegetable
production requires far less energy than meat production.
7. Grow your own vegetables, fruits and herbs without
using pesticides.
8. Avoid storing food in plastic. Use reusable glass
containers for storing food in the refrigerator, but
be careful, not all glass containers can be frozen.
9. Avoid storing food in plastic. Use reusable glass
containers for storing food in the refrigerator, but
be careful, not all glass containers can be frozen.
10. If you use plastic for storage, use containers
specifically designed for this.
11. Never microwave food in a plastic container. Even
plastics that are approved for food storage and are
‘microwavable’ may leech chemicals into
your food when heated.
12. If you must use plastic wrap, do not let it come
in direct contact with your food and make sure that
it is not made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl).
Save Energy - General Kitchen Water & Waste
1. Reuse glass jars, plastic food tubs, and zip lock
bags.
2. Use several cloth napkins instead of paper towels.
3. Use a reusable hemp or gold coffee filter instead
of paper coffee filters.
4. Fill a bowl with cold water to wash fruit and vegetables
with instead of running water from the faucet over them.
5. Turn the faucet on at a fraction of full volume for
things like washing hands and rinsing dishes to save
considerable amounts of water. Or better yet, keep a
bowl of water in the sink while preparing food for quickly
rinsing your hands.
6. Buy in bulk whenever possible to save on excess packaging
as well as money. Buy vegetables loose, not in plastic
bags.
7. Avoid plastic containers, they are made of different
types of plastic which are costly and difficult to separate
and recycle.
8. Keep a covered container of water in the fridge
for drinking - you won’t have to run the tap until
the water is cold every time you want a drink.
9. Compost scraps for use in your garden. Don’t
throw out all of those scraps; save landfill space &
make your own rich potting soil (Click
here for composting tips).
10. Don’t remodel with new materials. Consider
cabinets, flooring, and countertops made of recycled
and renewable resources.
Green
Kitchen Ideas
Save Energy with Kitchen
Appliances
Energy Saving Food
& Cooking Tips |
