Five Methods to Reduce Kitchen Waste.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, kitchen waste was a lead cause of waste in many households; now however, the situation has become more acute, as a greater proportion of the population prepares their own foods and avoids outings, such as frequenting restaurants.
Unlike in other portions of the home, this waste is often caused by necessary products and cleaning; because of this, new products and routines will be required to reduce waste in the kitchen in the current environment. Below is a list of five simple methods for quick and inexpensive waste reduction.
Eliminate bottled liquid soap for washing dishes and hands.
Soap in bottles and or dispensers are often considered necessary due to sanitation when preparing food; however, in most instances bar soap has been proven to be comparably hygienic to liquid dispensed soap. In instances where bar soap cannot be used and a dispenser is required, there are alternatives that can both save money and reduce waste. Liquid soap can be purchased in bulk containers and then emptied into reusable dispensers; when bought in bulk quantities, the soap itself will likely be less expensive and the use of a reusable dispenser will reduce waste and the costs associated with regular repurchase.
2. Use cloths to supplement paper towel.
Conveniently placed cloths supplementing paper towels in the kitchen can reduce waste by providing a second option, though because habits surrounding the use of disposables are often ingrained, keeping a stack of cloth or dish towels nearby may be necessary. It is also possible to invest in so called reusable paper towel, washable cloths interconnected on rolls similar to traditional paper towel.
3. Replace plastic brushes and soap dispensers with more durable combination wood or metal units.
Disposable brushes or relatively complicated soap dispensing dish scrubbers often require replacement after relatively short periods of time due to degradation. The use of separate soap and a traditional wood or non-oxidizing metal brush can reduce the need for regular replacements. Dish soap in bar form, applied to the brush which then scrubs the relevant dish or plate, is a further solution that would reduce waste and extra cost even further.
4. Place leftover food in reusable containers in place of disposable solutions
Throughout the kitchen products like Glad Wrap and disposable food containers are often used daily. There are numerous replacements for these product including beeswax wraps and lidded baking dishes ranging in size and shape. Various reusable baking dishes now come with silicone covers for easy storage. This solution is both safer, due to the elimination of exposure to plastics that may contain unsafe softeners, such as BPA or phthalates, and will also likely save considerable money. According to Amazon, a 70 sq.ft roll of Glad wrap costs $2.74. Assuming you use two of these every year, you will have spent $54.80 on Glad wrap every 10 years; we had been using around 6 every year, which means that we are spending $164.40 on Glad wrap every 10 years.
5. Purchase small appliances for longevity
When purchasing an appliance, especially small appliances for the kitchen, durability is difficult to ascertain, though it is important for several reasons; to determine if one product is expected to have greater longevity than another will effect the ability to keep something longer and repair it prevents waste and the subsequent need to replace the item. Researching the longevity experienced by other consumers, and spending more initially to purchase a superior product will have long-run benefits. Factoring repairability as an important variable in purchasing decisions will also prevent needless waste. Though the intrusion of power priced appliances in the past few decades and the increased use of electronics has made the process more difficult, there are still many options available.