Tips & Products for an Ethical Kitchen
Consider for a moment how much energy is used in your home and you’ll soon realise that the kitchen is probably the main culprit for consumption. The average kitchen will have a fridge/freezer, microwave, kettle, toaster, oven, gas hob, extractor fan and washing machine. Then there are the luxury items such as a dishwasher, coffee maker and electrical labour saving devices for cooking.
All of these appliances drain electric, gas and water which ultimately costs money and has a major impact on the environment. Here are some tips to make your kitchen more ‘green’ plus some Ethical and fair trade kitchen products for cooking and serving your food.
Ethical cooking tips
- Cook several dishes in one go – If cooking vegetables on the hob, use a tiered steamer rather than lots of pans. If using the oven, use all the shelves.
- When using the oven, try to avoid opening the door too often as the temperature drops by 15°C each time making your oven work harder.
- If cooking with pans, keep the lids on as this will use less gas. When bringing the pan to the boil, adjust the flame to the pan’s diameter to avoid heat wastage.
- Use a microwave to save time and energy.
- Don’t buy too many gadgets – Labour saving devices may look like a good idea but six million end up in landfill each year. If you don’t really need it, don’t buy it.
One product every kitchen needs is a chopping board to prevent damaging your kitchen surfaces when preparing food. The best boards are made from wood but as a natural resource, wood is depleting fast so buy fairtrade bamboo chopping boards. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world and therefore endlessly renewable.
For tasting, stirring, serving and eating, ethical kitchen utensils made from organic bamboo look great and will serve the amateur cook in your house for many years. Fairtrade serving bowls made from lacquered coiled bamboo are a stylish and colourful way to present salads and pasta dishes.
Ethical washing tips
- Wash clothes on cooler settings – For most people that’s 40°C although newer machines will now wash at 15°C. A 40°C wash will use a third less power than one at 60°C.
- Prewash settings are not necessary so don’t use them.
- If you need to buy a new washing machine, choose the smallest one possible for your needs and make sure it has a hot water inlet.
- Dishwashers can be economical if used correctly. A full load on an economy setting can use less water than hand washing although bear in mind the electrical usage. If you’re considering buying dishwasher ask yourself if you really do need one.
- Rather than buying expensive and chemical-laden cleaning products to remove scale from your dishwasher or washing machine, use a cupful of vinegar on a full cycle (without any clothes or dishes inside though!).
Ethical appliance tips
- All new appliances by law must display an energy rating. This is displayed on a scale of A-G with A being the most energy efficient (an ‘energy plus’ model is even more efficient still). If you’re buying a new appliance, always make sure you’re aware of the rating and the materials used in the manufacturing process. Look for CFC and HFC free fridge/freezers and ones with an "R600a" hydrocarbon coolant label.
- When disposing of old appliances, check with your local council for a disposal depot which will reuse, recycle or recondition certain parts. This reduces the amount going to landfill.