Top 5 Ways to Make Your Kitchen More Eco Friendly

1. Change How You Light Things Up

Believe it or not those little light bulbs that you are using consume a lot of energy, so why not replace them light bulbs that consume a lot less energy? Replacing regular light bulbs with CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) Bulbs you can make a huge difference. What kind of a difference you ask? Look at these wattage stats of CFL bulbs compared to regular bulbs and then you tell me:

Regular Bulb / CFL Bulb

60w / 13w-15w
75w / 20w
100w / 26w-29w
150w / 38w-42w

2. Reduce the Waste of Water

The kitchen is one of the top rooms in a home where water is wasted. We need to try and reduce this dramatically in today's world. As supplies of water drop due to rainfall patterns changing this has become quite important. One of the easiest ways to reduce the waste of water is by doing something as simple as not leaving the water running when it isn't in use. A lot of people tend to turn the water on a lot higher than they need to as well. Simply reducing the pressure of the water can sometimes help as well. Ever heard the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”? Try using your left over water from boiling rice, noodles, etc. to water the garden.

3. Buy Local Produce

Buying local produce is a great way of making your kitchen more eco-friendly. By bringing local produce into your kitchen you are helping out the environment more than you will ever know. A lot of the produce in the United States is shipped around an average of 1,500 miles or so before they are even sold. What makes that bad is the fact that it takes so much fuel to make those trips. If you are unable to visit your own local farmers market why not try growing your own vegetable garden? Not only is it great for the environment but growing your own vegetable garden can also be quite rewarding knowing you grew your own vegetables.

4. Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products All the Way

Instead of using chemical filled cleaning products in the kitchen use eco-friendly cleaning products. Two well known brands, Palmolive and Clorox, put out a great line of eco-friendly cleaning products. I have used items from both lines and love them. Not only do they clean quite well but they also smell good too.

5. Turn to Energy Efficient Appliances

Choose Energy Star appliances. Some appliances can be quite hefty when it comes to the price so be sure to shop around and choose smartly. Energy Star appliances are typically anywhere from 10% - 20% more energy efficient than regular kitchen appliances.