Sustainability Starts At Home

Simple ways to incorporate sustainable practices into your daily life that require minimal effort but go a long way in protecting our planet.

As the global pandemic has forced us to stay home and adapt to a slower pace of life, now is the perfect time to reevaluate our everyday actions and incorporate more ecofriendly practices into our home. So, we asked our in-house team of sustainability experts to share some easy yet effective tips for making your household more sustainable. For an added bonus, ecofriendly habits are often more economical over time, so you’ll also save money be while looking out for the collective wellbeing of our planet.

10 Simple Ways to Make your Kitchen More Sustainable

1. Make the switch from plastic to glass storage containers. Not only do they last longer but they’re better for the environment and don’t leach potentially harmful chemicals the way plastic can.
2. Use beeswax wraps in place of plastic wrap. This ecofriendly option can be reused for several months and will drastically reduce your household consumption of single-use plastic.
3. Make a grocery list before shopping. Try to take inventory of what food items you already have and buy only what you need. Impulse buying often leads to food waste that doesn’t benefit your budget or the environment.
4. Buy bulk when possible, rather than pre-packed goods. Try to avoid products with unnecessary excessive packaging.
5. Repurpose used coffee grounds. Collect and store coffee grounds in a sealed container on your counter instead of throwing directly in the trash.
   • An excellent natural deodorizer. Keep in an open container in your fridge or sprinkle on top of your garbage to mask odors.
   • Great for cleaning pots and pans. Just add a spoonful to your tough-to-clean dishes and scrub with a bit of soapy water before thoroughly washing.
   *Don’t worry if you use individual coffee pods. Simply peel back the top seal after brewing your single cup serving and salvage the grounds.
6. Compost food scraps. This will decompose into nutrient rich soil that you can reuse for gardening and plants. Your used coffee grounds can also go into your compost bin or directly into your garden soil for fertilizer.
7. Eat less meat. Incorporating just one meatless meal into your weekly routine adds up to a dramatic reduction over time.
8. If possible, start growing your own vegetable garden. Even a small plot can yield a significant amount of produce and you’ll be more inclined to eat the organic, wholesome veggies that you personally harvest. If you don’t have the space, even a windowsill pot for fresh herbs makes a difference.
9. Try to cook meals at home more often, using fresh produce and avoiding pre-packaged goods and resource-intensive food delivery services.
10. Freeze fresh produce to extend its shelf life. If you have too much fresh produce to use before it spoils, portion and freeze it for future meals like smoothies and stir-fries.

It can be daunting to consider making several changes at once but remember to start small and build on your habits gradually. Zero-waste chef, Anne Marie Bonneau, says it best; "We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly." Becoming more sustainable in your homelife doesn’t mean living without luxuries but rather being conscious of your resource consumption and reducing unnecessary waste wherever possible.