How to have a zero-waste kitchen?

With the world developing on a tremendously fast rate, the backlash of it all is mostly faced by our climate. From the glaciers melting to forests burning down, we have climate change to blame, the majority of which is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases. While there is a struggle going all over the world to take things under control, we as inhabitants of the earth can also take some steps to try and bring about some change and do our bit for the environment. Zero-Waste is one such step that is not only practically possible for us but also has a significant effect on saving the environment. But what exactly is Zero-Waste?

The ZWIA (Zero Waste International Alliance) follows the following definition to describe Zero Waste: The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of all products, packaging, and materials, without burning them, and without discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health. Although the problem is large-scale and it would need amendments on a large scale too, we can still start at home. Here are some ways in which you can inculcate zero-waste habits in your lifestyles starting from your kitchen:

It is not entirely possible to cut out plastic from our lives because it is has now become ingrained in our habits. But we can still try and reduce it by using cotton or jute bags when we step out of the house instead of plastic bags at the supermarket. They are more sustainable than plastic bags and can be used for multiple purposes.

Researchers have found plastic to be toxic for storing water and food. Tossing them out of your kitchen today wouldn’t be a bad idea. Use glass bottles instead. And if you want a better option, try copper bottles.

It applies to both home and outside. Single-use plastic straws and polythene bags end up polluting the seas as they turn into micro-plastic. They are a threat to the sea animals and if you consume seafood too, you are likely to be consuming micro-plastics.

As much as we love to munch on chips and other store-bought snacks and food, we also need to remember that their packaging is a threat to the environment. Try to cook as many meals and snacks at home as possible to reduce single-use plastic waste.

Composting is literally the new cool way to live. The process of composting provides rich organic matters for your garden that can be used to grow your own food. Most of the garbage thrown out of our kitchens can be used as compost. This would mean you’d have your own production of food minus the plastic and harmful pesticides. Just collect the peels of veggeis and bury them in a pit, somewhere in the garden and your compost would be ready in a few days.

Buying in small batches means you’d have a separate packaging for the same thing as many times you decide to buy it. The non-perishable things that you think are used regularly in your kitchen, for example, baking soda, lentils, rice, flour, sugar etc should be bought in bulk and stored rather than buying it every month. This will reduce single-use plastic packaging considerably.

As much as plastic is harmful to store water in, it is equally harmful to store food. The glass containers are known to be better for food storage. You can also use them to carry your lunch and heat it later in the microwave without carcinogens being added to your food.

Did you know that a dish scrub needs to be changed after every two weeks? Imagine how much unnecessary waste that would create! Using organic loofas can help you overcome this problem and would also be easier on your pocket.

How many times have we all returned home from the supermarket without having bought more stuff than what we needed? This leads to the painful wastage of food and money. Sticking to the shopping list can save us from both food and money wastage and self-control is always a good thing to learn!

After having bought just what you needed from the store, it is important to consume it in an efficient way. Planning your meals for the next two days or a whole weak can save you not only from buying extra stuff but can also put the items on your fridge to good use!