A Heart To Serve: Shrink Your Footprint

You've heard a bit about our Heart To Serve Campaign: Local Food Pantries, Hope Closet and our school in Haiti; but there is more to it yet: taking care of the environment. I'm not backing a save the whales campaign or preaching global warming, but I am a big supporter of doing your part. Our marketing manager and in-house newly wed Marta has some practical tips for shrinking your carbon footprint:

Getting married is a new chapter in your life and a great way to start some simple, sustainable practices. Today I'm going to focus on how to reduce, reuse and recycle in the kitchen. The order is very important. The less you bring into your house the less carbon footprint goes out.

Reduce
Buy food in large quantities. Individual sized servings are convenient, but create so much excess waste. For example: buy a large container of juice and divide it into smaller portions using reusable water bottles and cups; or buy pop in 2 liters and save on cans and cardboard excess. (Remember all packaging, whether it is recyclable or not, takes resources and energy to make and salvage.) Another example is skipping paper towels and using kitchen dish towels.

Reuse
Think sustainability: Tupperware for leftovers and lunches, flatware and real plates at dinner time, and baskets and reusable bags when you're shopping. Other ideas would be reusing wine bottles as vases and glass jars for storage. There is also the "C" word... composting. Don't be intimidated. It is easier than you think. Check out this quick blog on how to get started. Keep a small bin on your counter for putting scraps in while you cook. Then at the end of the night, dump it in your composter. Easy piezie!

Recycle
Recycling is last for a reason: it is your last resort (while last before actually throwing something in the garbage.) Create a recycling center in your kitchen to keep recyclables organized and out of your way. I divided mine into: Paper/Cardboard, Returnables, and Other Recycling. When a bin gets full, take it to your local recycling center. Click here to find how to recycle anything in your area.

You don't have to start everything at once, but be responsible for your (and your new spouse's) carbon footprint.