Who wouldn’t like to be more eco-friendly in their day-to-day life? Sometimes, it can feel overwhelming knowing where to begin or where else you can make beneficial changes. If you’re someone who’s interested in making their Chicago home a bit greener, the kitchen is the perfect place to start. Here are some of our favorite environmentally-friendly kitchen tips:

Keep Your Refrigerator Organized

It’s great to stove to eliminate your food waste as much as possible. One strategy that can have a big impact here is keeping your refrigerator well organized and getting into a routine of checking it weekly. So often, the food that gets wasted is what we forgot that we purchased - those veggies that wound up at the bottom of the drawer or the leftovers that got pushed to the back. The more organized your fridge, the easier it is to see what you have and when you need to use it.

Start Composting

Whether you decide to learn how to do this at home yourself or work with a pick-up service, composing is another great way for homeowners to reduce their waste. All those bits and pieces of things we don’t eat can really start to accumulate, and setting yourself up to compost can quickly decrease your trash output. If you decide to work with a pick-up service, be sure to double check which things can be composted. Another benefit to this type of service, you’ll likely get some free or discounted compost back for your garden.

Shop in Bulk

Shopping in bulk provides several eco-friendly benefits. First, you avoid packaging, again lowering your trash output. Filling up a glass jar with rice as opposed to buying rice that comes in a bag in a box, for example, is an easy switch. Not only will you reduce packaging waste, but it’s also often easier to purchase the right amounts for your family and see what you have in stock so you don’t overbuy or let things go to waste.

Opt for Reusable

Wherever possible, choosing reusable products over disposable ones can help homeowners to take their kitchen to the next level. Rather than plastic ziplocks, plastic wrap, and plastic bottles, so much of what we have in our kitchen comes in more sustainable packaging that can be used again and again. Whether you go for a glass soap bottle that you can refill from tablets or you pick up some silicon baggies to hold snacks and treats, homeowners have endless options when it comes to reusable products for their kitchens.

What about your kitchen? Are these things you already do or would consider incorporating? How important is it to you to be an eco-friendly homeowner? I’d love to hear your thoughts!