The kitchen produces a large proportion of our household waste, but it’s also a great candidate for reducing it.
Recycling options differ depending on your location. What’s available in your town or city? Check with your local government what can be recycled locally, and if pickup services exist. There will be rules as to what’s acceptable, and in what condition (labels or not, cleanliness etc). Take this seriously – putting the wrong things in your bin doesn’t just contaminate your load, but the truckload it’s added to.
I find I need to have a pretty big bin for plastics, but small for metal and glass. That’s more of a comment on food manufacturers moving from glass and metal over to plastic than much to do with me, although I eat very little canned food.
One very important category of “stuff” to recycle is food scraps. Composting in the kitchen sometimes gets a bad rap for being smelly, but it doesn’t need to be. Use a container which doesn’t absorb smells (stainless steel or other metal is good), with a tight-fitting lid, and empty it frequently. Worm composting is a great year-round solution, too. A hole or chute in the counter which goes directly to the composting bucket (indoors or out) is great in theory but in practice it’s hard to make it smell-proof, bug-proof, critter-proof and easily cleanable.
Comments? How do you recycle in your kitchen?
Green Kitchens 