Help the environment, reduce waste, and save money! By not generating waste, we can eliminate the need to handle, transport, treat and dispose of waste
IN THE KITCHEN
There are many things we can do in the kitchen to reduce waste, save money and help the environment: By rethinking our food storage habits and sorting the freezer, we can avoid throwing out up to €700 worth of food every year. It’s all about better buying, better storage, better cooking!
- Make sure fruit and vegetables are stored in the correct place. If you are unsure where to store your items, just copy your local shop.
- Examine - Use your own judgment when throwing out food.
- Use by dates are for safety and should be followed, best before dates are a guide. Labels such as sell by and display until are used for stock control by shops and are of no consequence to householders.
- Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 0 -5°C for the fresh food compartment and 0° F (-18°C) for separate freezers for long-term storage.
- Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight.
- Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder. Use sturdy reusable containers.
- Regularly defrost manual-defrost freezers and refrigerators; frost buildup decreases the energy efficiency of the unit. Don't allow frost to build up more than one-quarter of an inch.
- Look for blue flames in natural gas appliances; yellow flames indicate the gas is burning inefficiently and an adjustment may be needed. If you see yellow flames, consult the manufacturer or your local utility.
- Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean; they will reflect the heat better, and you will save energy.
- Use a covered kettle or pan or electric kettle to boil water; it's faster and uses less energy.
- Match the size of the pan to the heating element.
- Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
- Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
- Air-dry clothes on clothes lines or drying racks where possible.
- When tumble drying, dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes. Don't over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
- Clean the lint screen in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation and prevent fire hazards.
- Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the heat remaining in the dryer. Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked.
- Selecting energy-efficient office equipment and turning off machines when they are not in use can result in significant energy savings.
- Spending a large portion of time in low-power mode not only saves energy but helps equipment run cooler and last longer.
- Putting your laptop AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically) can maximize savings; the transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter.
- Using the power management settings on computers and monitors can cause significant savings.
- It is a common misperception that screen savers reduce a monitor's energy use. Use automatic switching to sleep mode or simply turn it off.
- Consider buying a laptop/tablet for your next computer upgrade; laptops use much less energy than desktop computers.
- Unplug appliances. Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. (little red light on DVD players, TVs, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances) Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
- Use rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and digital cameras. Studies have shown they are more cost effective than disposable batteries. If you must use disposables, dispose of them in a safe place. Aim to use CFL light bulbs.
- Note: Switching to online billing could save you up to €400 per year.
- Check out reuse websites, e.g. www.jumbletown.ie, www.freetradeireland, www.freecycle.org. These are a great way of sourcing/giving away items in reasonable condition.
- Gardening encourages good environmental behaviour and reduces packaging and food waste. It also reduces carbon footprints because the food is grown locally.
- Composting at home is another great way of minimising waste and reducing our carbon footprint (less energy used on transport).
- Help the environment by buying ‘no waste’ gift ideas like vouchers/tickets/memberships.
- When shopping, shop locally, bulk buy if possible and avoid buying disposable goods.
