| Green living. | | | | they good for you? Are they dishwasher safe? |
| Everyone has so much to do balancing work, | | | | Safe in the microwave? Maybe and maybe not. |
| cooking, shopping, kids, errands, fun, and yes | | | | The big scare of plastic around food is BPA, which |
| sleep. The question is, how can we live green in | | | | stands for Bisphenol-A. Many plastic food |
| our kitchens, AND not take any extra time doing | | | | containers will advertise now that they are BPA |
| this? The following is a list of 5 easy and simple | | | | free. The thing that concerns me, is plastic |
| things that anyone can do in their kitchen to live | | | | changes chemistry when it gets hot. Some of |
| green and healthy. | | | | these plastic containers are not suppose to go in |
| 1. Change Your Relationship with Paper Towels. | | | | the dishwasher, the freezer, or the microwave. |
| - There are many brands of paper towels that | | | | Some say that they bottom part of the container |
| provide an option for 1/2 sheets. A great idea! | | | | is dishwasher safe, i washed on the top shelf. I |
| - Buy recycled paper towels. There are many | | | | don't know about you, but I don't remember all |
| brands out there have this as an option. | | | | the details of every item in my kitchen (top piece, |
| - Don't use paper towels at all when you could | | | | bottom piece) and how it should be cleaned. Also |
| use a washable rag. | | | | my specific dishwasher gets hotter than most...... |
| Paper towels are used for so many things. | | | | do the warning labels take that into account? |
| However, most of use waste a lot of paper | | | | Glass containers have no worry about being bad |
| towels when we don't have to. For example, if | | | | for your health, they are so much easier to use, |
| you spill a bit of coffee on the kitchen floor, do | | | | and they can be safely used in the microwave, |
| you have to use a paper towel every time? Also | | | | dishwasher or freezer. (Many brands out there) |
| do you always need a full sheet? Are there times | | | | For example, with a glass storage container, you |
| when a 1/2 sheet would be ideal and save paper? | | | | can take the food out of the freezer, defrost it |
| Try to use a reusable rag any time you can, | | | | and hen heat it up in the microwave in the same |
| versus a paper towel. | | | | container; all without worry of health concerns of |
| 2. Buy Stainless Steel Water Bottles, Versus | | | | having to take out more dishes. |
| Plastic Bottled Water | | | | 4. Use Reusable Shopping Bags |
| There is a lot of debate if drinking from plastic | | | | Most grocery stores sell recyclable shopping bags; |
| drinking bottles are even good for you, particularly | | | | often for less than a dollar. I suggest that you |
| when they get hot. Not to mention, some bottled | | | | buy 20 reusable bags and put some of these |
| water is no different than your tap water and it is | | | | bags in your cars, have some at home, and in |
| expensive! Why spend good money on something | | | | your backpack. Use them whenever you buy |
| that you could get for FREE and help the | | | | groceries, go to Target, or shop anywhere really. |
| environment! | | | | Not only are you helping the environment, but it |
| According to the New York State Department of | | | | makes shopping so much easier. |
| Environmental Conservation, nearly 2.5 billion | | | | The benefit of reusable bags from a time |
| bottles of water a year are sold in New York. If | | | | standpoint, is you can fit twice as many groceries |
| these bottles were put side-by-side, they would | | | | into each re-usable bag; thereby making fewer |
| reach the moon! | | | | trips from your car to your kitchen. Once you |
| - Only 10% of water bottles are recycled! That | | | | start using reusable shopping bags, you will never |
| means 90% are thrown out and end up in our | | | | want to go bag to using plastic bags. |
| land fills. | | | | 5. Use Reusable Lunch Bags and Reusable |
| - According to the Food and Water Watch, the | | | | Containers Versus Plastic Bags |
| 1.5 million tons of plastic bottles that are created, | | | | When you take lunch to work, or you make a |
| requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year to | | | | lunch for your kids, why use a new paper bag |
| produce. | | | | every day? Why use a new plastic bag for every |
| 3. Buy Glass Containers to Store Food in Versus | | | | new sandwich. If every person just used ONE |
| Plastic Containers | | | | plastic bag a day, that would be around |
| Take a look at your plastic containers that you | | | | 307,000,000 bags just to transport sandwiches in |
| store food in. Do they look beat up? Are they | | | | the U.S. alone. Not to mention, that most people |
| discolored? How long do they actually last and are | | | | use more than one a day in their lunch bag. |