Simple, green kitchen tip
Easy ways to get more eco-friendly in the kitchen come up all the time–it’s mostly a matter of paying attention and not doing things the way I’ve always done them. My latest simple switch was getting rid of (or rather, not replacing) plastic cutlery. My teen daughter takes yogurt in her school lunch every day, and up to now has taken a plastic spoon; but when we ran out recently, I told her I wasn’t going to buy new ones. Instead, she could just take a regular spoon, throw it in her purse after lunch, and bring it home to wash. She put up a tiny objection, but then dropped it … and voila, no more plastic spoons. (In a real pinch there are also recycled and recyclable plastic utensils, such as those made by Recycline.)
Simple, huh? What other ideas do you have to reduce waste?
Related Topics: Kids and Family, Green Living, From the Editors
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Along the same lines and one step further, I buy the largest containers of yogurt and every Sunday fill up smaller 8oz containers that are ready to go the rest of the week. I reuse the larger containers. And yes, sometimes there is a collection of small containers in my desk drawer but I feel better not throwing away a container a day.
Same with oatmeal. I pre-make enough for the week in my small containers using bulk bought oatmeal and raisins. I hate washing plastic bags so the containers work for me. But I’m not throwing away an individual package every day.
May not work with teenagers…
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
That is such a perfect idea! I’ve been wondering how to get around the plastic-yogurt-container problem … I know they can be recycled, but REDUCING is even better. Thanks; I’ll try it.