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Kitchen - Tips for Turning Yours Green

With energy sustainability becoming a major issue in many Australian homes, it can help both the environment and your wallet if you make some changes in your kitchen to use fewer resources and become greener.  We’ve put together some ideas that anyone can follow with a minimum of hassle whether you’re building new or looking to make a few changes.

Choose energy-efficient kitchen appliances. 

If you’re replacing the appliances in your kitchen, make the effort to look for appliances that are as energy-efficient as possible, especially when it comes to the cook top, oven, fridge and dishwasher.  The best way to see if your appliances make the grade when it comes to energy efficiency is to check the number of stars that it is.  The more stars, the more energy will be saved.  Also ensure that you choose appliances that are the right size.  If your fridge or dishwasher is too large, they will use more energy, or water, than they need to.  Also check out the new induction cook tops.  These work by using electricity to create a magnetic field to cause molecular movement in your cookware, meaning that the stovetop stays cool while the cookware itself heats up.

Go green in the kitchen with recycled materials. 

Recycled materials can be of just as high quality as newly-made materials and save equipment going needlessly to landfill.  Recycled materials can be used as flooring, as counter tops, as splashbacks, and can even go as far as using your old kitchen carcass, which may still be in perfectly good condition. 

Make recycling a part of your kitchen. 

When planning your kitchen, ensure that you leave lots of room for recycling.  A surprising amount of items can be recycled in the kitchen, from packaging right through to food scraps.  Turn your food scraps into compost and your garden will benefit too.

Save water in the kitchen. 

An easy way to save on the amount of water that you use in your kitchen is to install water saving taps that have a good water rating.  If your taps don’t need replacing, consider installing a flow regulator or aerator to minimize the amount of water that comes through.  You’ll be amazed at how much water you can save with such a minimum of effort.

Use energy-efficient kitchen lighting. 

As light is necessary in every kitchen, using the right lights can save an extraordinary amount of energy.  Most kitchens require both general and task lighting, and fluorescent lights can be used for both of these applications.  Try not to use incandescent bulbs as these are the most energy-intensive of all.

Use natural ventilation in the kitchen. 

It may be tempting to use the range hood to rid the kitchen of steam and cooking odours but oftentimes their use just isn’t necessary.  Ensure that you have an openable window – or more than one if it’s feasible! – and you will be able to let in fresh air as well as let out what you don’t want.  You’ll also have the bonus of natural light.

Save energy by installing your kitchen fridge correctly. 

Many fridges are put into spaces that are simply too small for them, meaning that they will use more energy trying to keep the contents of the fridge cool.  If you have a fridge cavity, ensure that there is plenty of space at the back – at least 80 millimetres.  Also, it may sound obvious but try to keep the fridge a good distance away from heat sources such as the oven.

Use eco-friendly flooring in the kitchen. 

There are many types of flooring out there that are environmentally friendly.  A few of your options include polished concrete, natural rubber, bamboo, timber flooring from sustainable forests, recycled timber flooring, and cork flooring.  Not only will you be helping the environment, all of these options look fantastic!

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