Kitchen
Have you ever noticed how the largest trash can in the house is stored in the kitchen? Kitchens are the powerhouses of the home. The place where we make delicious meals, make messes, store food, tools, and dishware, and carefully wash everything to use it again the next day. It's the place where families and friends gather during parties and the place we make a lot of our waste. Thoughtful choices in your kitchen can have a huge impact on your wallet, waste, and the environment.
Below we share simple tips for making your way towards zero waste in your kitchen.
- In Marion County, food waste makes up 24% of residential curbside waste. The average American family throws away one-fourth of all food purchased however, you can be the change. We encourage you to take action by pledging to reduce food waste. By implementing simple strategies, you can plan ahead, shop smart, prep early, and properly store the food you purchase.
- Packaging is another easy place to reduce waste. Many items come in plastic and excess packaging, so it's best to avoid packaging whenever possible.
- Look for alternatives that have less packaging or shop in the bulk section of the grocery store. Some stores will allow you to bring in your own containers and bags to fill up for zero waste shopping.
- Beeswax wraps: Learn how to make your own with this video tutorial.
- Mason Jars: these are not just for canning. Mason jars are perfect for leftovers and can be reheated easily without fear of plastic leaching into your food.
- Reusable Silicone Bags: these are great alternatives to plastic wraps and disposable baggies
- Reusable Water Bottles & Coffee Mugs: Fill out in the morning before you head out with reusable bottles and mugs. If you purchase insulated bottles, your beverages will stay hot well into the afternoon for that quick, caffeine pick me up.
- Cloth Napkins: they are easy to use, easy to clean, and can get put into rotation instead of wasteful paper.
- Choose tap water. Making bottles to meet America’s demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year. And that’s not even including the oil used for transportation. Choose tap water over the bottled stuff. It's just as good and - at less than a penny per gallon - it is a bargain.
- Did you know you can downsize your curbside garbage bin to 20lbs? Or even better, work with your hauler to schedule a pick up only when it's needed. There's no need for you to pay for service or garbage not used. Contact your hauler to get started.
- Donate surplus produce and unwanted canned goods to Marion Polk Food Share.
Start a swap to share excess kitchen items, food, or appliances. Download our online guide.
Share extra baked goods or produce with neighbors. It’s such a way to connect.
Donate your excess to a local Buy Nothing group on Facebook.
