How Green is Your Kitchen?  

I was reading an article on simple ways we can save, reuse and recycle in our kitchen, without making major changes in our lifestyles. Here are a few good ideas, to help start out easily:

Many people think that using a dishwasher wastes a lot of water. This is not true, if you wait to run your washer when it's completely full. Handwashing dishes uses a steady stream of water, both to wash and then rinse. This all adds up, especially if you're like me and wash every time you have a few used items in the sink. If you remember to save up and do your dishwashing only when your appliance is full, and turn off the heat-drying option, you will save water, energy, and ultimately, money.

Remember to avoid throwing greases down your drain. You could end up with an expensive visit from your plumber; but grease in drains makes it extremely difficult for sewage treatment facilities to do their job properly.

Recycling is an obvious choice, but many of us don't realize how many recyleables there are in our kitchen. Empty cans, bottles, glass jars and containers..all these can be placed in a separate recycling bin, carried to your curb for trash pickup, or taken to your nearest recycling center.

Compost your food scraps. Many things are compostable and will make your garden a healthier place in the coming year. You can make your own compost pile at home, or purchase a composter. If you are an organic coffee drinker, Wikipedia has many useful ideas for using those coffee grounds.

None of these ideas are earthshattering or new, but every little bit helps. If you fall into the pattern of doing these things on a daily basis, it will soon become habit...and you'll be well on your way to a greener kitchen.