Only run dishwashers when they are full
Depending on the model, some dishwashers can use way more energy and water than necessary. In order to make dishwashing as environmentally friendly as possible without doing it by hand, you should make sure that the household appliances are completely full before you switch them on. Play a little tetris to get everything to fit and then run your dishwasher. This can help save the environment and your wallet.
Leave the lid on when you’re cooking at home
For environmentally friendly cooking you should always leave the lid on the pot. This has the advantage that the water or your food boils faster and at the same time less energy is needed. This way you can make cooking in the kitchen more sustainable in the long run.
Let warm dishes cool down before putting them in the refrigerator
Have you just enjoyed your hot soup and now you have by far too much left? To be able to enjoy your soup the next day, you don’t have to put it in the refrigerator immediately. If you put the still warm soup in the refrigerator, it needs much more energy to keep its temperature low. So let your fresh hot dishes cool down first before putting them in the fridge.
Drink tap water
Drinking tap water has several advantages. Water from plastic bottles is 250 times more expensive than drinking tap water, and causes suffering in many parts of the world due to plastic waste. Water sources are being privatized, which makes it very difficult for many people to get free access to water. Do the world a favor and drink tap water before picking up a plastic water bottle!
Look for reusable alternatives
The perfect example of this is the straw. A plastic straw floats the same 15 minutes in your cocktail as a glass straw. The glass straw, however, is not thrown away afterwards but can be used over and over again, resulting in much less waste. Fun Fact: There is almost no disposable product that has so many environmentally friendly alternatives.
Try to limit yourself to what is really important to you and what you really need to avoid expensive and unnecessary spontaneous purchases. This will save you resources and of course money.
