Let's start with the kitchen where we not only generate most of our household waste, but also waste most of different products: food, water and energy. So how should you design your kitchen to make sure it will support you in performing the "less waste" activities?
The basic aspect here is the right choice of economical household appliances, such as a fridge in the best energy efficiency class or a dishwasher that uses as little water as possible, or if you have a small family ‒ a dishwasher with the half load function. Is your kitchen already fitted? Are the devices you have a few years old now? Do not worry, it does not mean that you have to rush to the store for a new fridge right away, but maybe you should change its place? Remember that your fridge should not be put too close to heat sources, because it increases energy consumption. You should also follow some important rules:
• start the dishwasher only when it is full
• do not rinse dishes before putting them into the dishwasher ‒ this is a terrible waste of water!
• make sure that your fridge is not iced up because when it is, it consumes much more energy
• set the right temperature inside your fridge ‒ from 4 to 6°C for the fridge and about -18°C for the freezer ‒ each "additional" degree increases energy consumption by about 6%
• close the door to your fridge quickly
• put only cool food into your fridge, and if you want to defrost something, do it inside the fridge ‒ it will last a little bit longer, but it will help you save a lot of energy
What are the other devices you should pay attention to? Certainly the kitchen mixer. Saving water is a key "less waste" activity. Replacing a mixer is not a huge challenge, but it can help you reduce water consumption by up to half. Not to mention the comfort of use you will get. An interesting solution is a touch mixer, such as Tauri TouchMe. It is characterised by low water consumption (only 7l per minute!), which is additionally limited by the possibility to turn the water stream on and off quickly.
What else can you do to save water in your kitchen? You should wash fruit and vegetables in the sink or a bowl, never under running water. What's more, the dirty water after washing can be used to water the plants you have at home. You should also prepare more steamed food. It is good for your health, and it consumes a significantly smaller amount of water than the traditional way of cooking. You should also try using smaller pots (this also means lower gas or energy consumption). It is a good idea to buy a set of pots in different sizes, so that you can choose the one that suits your current needs easily.
We could write a lot about the "less waste" philosophy in the area of cooking, but at the beginning introduce a few small changes and you will immediately see a change in your trash bin. First, try not to peel vegetables such as carrots or potatoes, but only scrub them thoroughly. If you have a large kitchen (or a balcony), you should invest in a home composter.
There are many really beautiful models of home composter available on the market, including small countertop ones and large free-standing ones.
The most important, golden rule of the kitchen "less waste" says: Buy only as much as you need (do not forget to take a shopping list with you every time you go shopping!) and make use of "leftovers" ‒ because the meals made of them are really delicious and can be a perfect lunch to bring to work or a light afternoon snack. What about the bathroom? Can you also introduce the "less waste" rules there? Yes, of course! Let's start with water: you should shorten the time you spend in the shower, start the washing machine only when it is full, and make sure your mixers are functional (the water that drips from the tap is a huge waste!). It will be also a good idea to replace your mixers with more economical ones. The Mokait collection is a group of mixers equipped with an eco-friendly aerator, thanks to which water consumption is only 6 l/min.
It will be a very clever idea to use touchless mixers, e.g. Samba by KFA Armatura, which everyone knows well from public toilets. Once introduced into your home bathroom, they will have a significant impact on minimising water consumption, and they will also make the process of washing hands much easier for the youngest family members.
But in the bathroom we use not only water ‒ it is also a place where we use most of chemicals, such as washing powder, shampoo, soap, cleaning products... You should focus on choosing those eco-friendly ones, made from natural ingredients. If you use liquid soap, you should buy large refill packs, or preferably replace them with bar soap. This will mean less plastic packaging! It is also a good idea to replace plastic cotton buds with biodegradable ones, e.g. made from bamboo or paper.
Summing up, you can introduce the "less waste" philosophy into your life in many different ways and this does not necessarily mean redecorating your house, buying a lot of new gadgets, or changing your lifestyle completely. Remember that taking care of our planet is our duty!
Let's start with the kitchen where we not only generate most of our household waste, but also waste most of different products: food, water and energy. So how should you design your kitchen to make sure it will support you in performing the "less waste" activities?