No one can deny that the environment is a key area of concern. Recycling, reusing and reducing your use of plastics, paper and glass are great steps. Did you know there are simple ways you can do even more to help conserve energy and protect the planet by making your kitchen more eco-friendly? We have a great list of easy ways and simple changes you can use to be more environmentally-friendly in your kitchen.

• Switch to LED lightbulbs. LED bulbs are the most energy efficient choice and they last longer too.
• Use glass or ceramic cookware in the oven. Did you know you can reduce your oven’s temperature by 25 degrees and still use the same cooking time when you use ceramic or glass bakeware instead of metal? That 25 degrees can save a lot more energy than you realize.
• Keep the oven door closed while cooking and use the light and window to check on food instead. Every time you open the oven door to peek at the food, the oven can drop in temperature by as much as 25 degrees – making your oven work harder and using up more energy to keep the right temperature.
• Use the right sized burner. Match the pan size to the burner size. Using a smaller pan on a too-large burner results in heat loss. This means less efficient cooking of your food and that lost heat ends up heating up your home instead, making your HVAC unit work harder.
• Install a low-flow faucet. Low-flow faucets can decrease water use by as much as 60%.
• Use pan lids when cooking. Especially when boiling, keep the pan lid on to keep steam from escaping. This will help foods cook faster and also avoid heating up your home with released steam.
• Unplug small appliances when not in use. Unplugging your toaster and coffee maker might not sound like a big deal but it prevents these appliances from pulling latent power when they’re not in use.
• Fill the freezer. Freezers hold temperature better when they’re full. Freeze items to prevent food waste and fill any open spaces with bottled water to keep the freezer full.
• Keep the fridge and freezer condenser coils clean. Keeping the coils on the back (or underneath, on some models) of your fridge will help the appliance work more efficiently. This is an easy task to accomplish with a vacuum attachment – just temporarily unplug the fridge first.
• Microwave it. When reheating leftovers, use the microwave instead of the oven. A microwave uses less energy but will also avoid heating up your house.
• Consider composting. Of course, minimizing food waste is ideal, but for food waste you do have, consider composting it. Small composting units are available to make it simple and easy, without taking up a ton of space or area in your yard.

Small changes can add up to a big difference in helping your kitchen and cooking activities be as eco-friendly as possible. We hope this list has inspired you to look for even more ways to help the environment in your kitchen.