If you're like myself, a home cook, that makes atleast 2 meals a day. You will notice a stack of recyclable materials like tins, plastic wraps/trays, bottles, cans etc just pile up on the kitchen counter. EVERYDAY! And with the controversial deposit return scheme, most folks will have full bags/rucksacks in their homes as well.
We often underestimate the impact our kitchen has on the environment. The good news? Sustainable kitchen practices are achievable for any home cook. And it takes a bit of efficient planning to pull it off!
This guide explores key strategies to promote sustainability in your kitchen and stacking sustainable habits!
Plan Your Meals
I'm a huge fan of Atomic Habits by James Clear. The goal of the book is to stack good habits and doing it regularly. A simple example of this in terms of meal planning would be planning your week's meals ahead of time, creating a calendar, shopping ingredients based on the meals. This small change will reduce Spontaneous grocery trips, impulse buys and food waste. I absolutely would recommend this resource for maintaining a weekly calendar for meal planning.
"Imperfect" Produce
There's often club card deals on fruits and vegetables with cosmetic blemishes. I've also got boxes of Hummus for 50 cents because it was 2 days near expiry. Just be sure you consume them within the expiry date printed on the labels. These imperfections do not affect taste or quality, and purchasing them reduces food waste while saving you money. We normally, look and discard. These items can be cheap often!
Leftovers? Challenge Accepted!
Get creative with leftover ingredients! Repurpose them into new dishes or freeze them for future meals. Leftover rice? Make a quick Gyeran Bap. Leftover vegetables? Make a hearty soup. Part of being creative in the kitchen is using what you have and transform it into something amazing!
Storage efficiency or OCD?
Proper food storage significantly extends shelf life. Even just taking out the plastic covers on vegetables and putting them in appropriate boxes in your fridge goes a long way! Learn appropriate storage methods for different fruits, vegetables, and pantry staples. Invest in reusable containers for leftovers and utilize airtight storage solutions to prevent spoilage. Ditch single-use plastics like cling film and plastic wrap. Opt for reusable containers for food storage and lunch packing. Consider reusable silicone baking mats as an alternative to parchment paper, reducing reliance on disposable products.
Composting
Food scraps that can't be repurposed for meals or broths become valuable resources through composting. Composting transforms food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden, closing the loop and minimizing waste sent to landfills. Here's a home composting guide from Wicklow's website that's really helpful!
TIL 2GoCup
If you're an owner of a restaurant/coffee shop, then 2GoCups might be of interest to you. I learnt about this crowd when I was scrolling Instagram @2am (like we all do!).
It's very similar to the deposit return scheme but the customer actually gets a cup/bowl instead of returning one. It incentives the customers by placing a product in their hands.Here's how it works:
- Simple deposit system: A customer pays a small deposit, grabs their coffee, and return the cup at any participating location to get their deposit back.
- Eco-friendly: Made from recyclable materials and built to last, 2GoCup helps reduce landfill waste.
- Convenient: Fits snugly in cup holders and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.
Sustainability at home is marathon and not a sprint If you're incorporating these practices, you're already in the top 1% percentile eco-conscious home cook and you should feel really positive about making conscious choices for the environment.