When you talk about sustainability at home, people quickly think of solar panels and shorter showers. But did you know that there is also a lot that can be done to make the kitchen more sustainable? ASN Bank, in collaboration with Merel Philippart of design induction plate company MAKUS (public winner of the ASN Bank World Award 2018), shares practical green tips to reduce your environmental impact in the kitchen. Curious about the secret ingredients? Check them out below.
New house, new kitchen? Not so fast… Merel says:'When you move to another house, you naturally want to make it your own place. However, there is much to be gained in the choices you make. Is there a kitchen in it that you don't like? Instead of replacing it in its entirety, think about what exactly you don't like about it. For example, do you just not like the color? There are countless ecological paints on the market that will give your kitchen the desired complexion. Do the cabinets or countertops not suit your style? Then specifically replace these parts. Does the whole kitchen have to come out? Then look second-hand before something completely new has to be made for you. And if you do want to go for something new, check out companies that do this in such a sustainable way.'
Do you have a kitchen and do you want to make it more sustainable? Cooking on an induction plate is the most sustainable way of cooking, and is therefore increasingly popular. Induction cooking does not heat the hob, but the pan itself. If the hob is switched on but there is no pan on it, an induction hob will switch off automatically.
And now… into the kitchen! Once you get started in the kitchen, there are plenty of tips to make it more sustainable. Reduce your environmental impact by, for example, looking at the ingredients you use during cooking. But there are more things you can do to be more sustainable in the kitchen:
Turn off your oven. If your cookies have to bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees, you can turn off the oven a few minutes earlier. That saves a lot of energy. Also smart:plan all your oven-related cooking skills in succession:take out the oven dish, put in fresh cookies.
Put the lid on the pan. This saves you time and energy, because no unnecessary heat is lost during cooking.
Place food that has a shorter shelf life in the front of your (refrigerator) cupboard. This prevents food waste, which is of course sustainable. Put your leftovers all the way up front, so that you are challenged to turn them into a dish again.
A little less time (or in the mood) to cook extensively? Freeze your food. Freezing food reduces food waste by 47%, research shows. Remove products from the freezer the night before, so that they can thaw in the refrigerator instead of in the microwave.
Prefer to order? Super chill of course, but after that meal you're left with all those disposable packaging. There are organizations that offer disposable plastic-free alternatives.
