Episode 1: Zero waste in my kitchen!

We have decided that, each month, we will reveal some tips for adopting a daily green routine.

The theme of the day: “Zero waste objective in my kitchen! "

As you may know, December 8 is world climate day ... And you are well aware that we rush straight into the wall, with our habits of overconsumption and waste every day.
But come on, let's be positive, it's not too late to react either, so let's get started, and quickly!

And even if getting started does not mean arriving at a 100% green cuisine, but our state of mind is already oriented "green" and we begin to feel eco-responsible, we is in the right direction!

Here we reveal our tips for moving towards a healthier daily life, for the planet, but also for your health.

Step n ° 1: The basics

• We don't let the water run

~ In the sink when you do the dishes (and you close your taps when you leave).
~ In the shower when you wash
~ In the sink when you brush your teeth

• We try as much as possible to sort our waste in an optimal way

Come on, that was really for beginners, but it's never too late to get started so a reminder of the essentials is never too much.

So now we can move up a gear!
We'll help you do that by giving you some tips that advocate for a cleaner planet and healthier, more economical cuisine!

Step 2: We adopt the “5R” approach

1. Refuse (consume less but better)
2. Reduce (your consumption)
3. Reuse (repair, rent, buy and resell used)
4. Recycle (sort waste)
5. Compost ("Rot" in English)

To apply the 5Rs, a few simple and concrete steps to get started:

• Stop wasting

Each French person throws 20 kg per year of household waste (which represents 1 meal per week!) including 7 kg of products still packaged.
How to reduce? Already by rethinking your purchases according to the menus and by paying attention to storage and expiration dates.
It is better to go shopping several times a week if necessary (except if it involves a long car trip) than throwing away half of the full amount of groceries because the products are out of date!

• Recycle the leftovers and cook the peelings !!

Are you thinking "Berk"?
But no, even great chefs do it!
A simple and excellent recipe: put the peelings and mushroom stems in the saucepan with a knob of butter, cover and let the juice come out. Perfect for flavoring a risotto or a mash!
Remember that it is in the skin of vegetables & fruits that we find all the vitamins, so the ideal would still be to rinse your vegetables instead of them. peel (for this, we recommend that you buy organic fruits & vegetables to avoid pesticides).

• Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables

And yes, we stop tomatoes or strawberries in winter, and we also buy local.
Less pesticides, less fuel used for transport, no import tax therefore cheaper and more better because mature ... Good for the environment and for us!
Here is the calendar of fruits & seasonal vegetables: (no more excuses!)

Source: Ladilafé & cooverblog.com

• Encourage bulk purchase

Dry products (cereals, flour, sugar, dried fruits, spices, tea, coffee, etc.), oils and even wine and cleaning products in some stores!
And prefer cut products. More and more brands are offering this alternative and therefore no more excuses!
Thus, From tea to spirits, including pasta and herbs, large retailers are testing or developing bulk sales in different forms.

Thus, Auchan has been offering pasta, rice and other basic products in bulk since 2005, Franprix is expanding, in some of its stores, from bulk to spirits, and Bio Village, the brand of organic food products from Leclerc stores, launched into bulk at the end of 2017 with a wide assortment of grocery products: Rice, pasta, dried fruits and vegetables and even sugar in bulk! < / p>

• Adjust your intake of animal protein

~ No more than 4 meals with meat per week
~ Maximum 2 meals with fish (and endangered species are prohibited: Mediterranean bluefin tuna for example).
~ Favor vegetarian dishes as much as possible
→ One of the main causes of deforestation is due to the intensive cultivation of soybeans, intended to feed livestock !

• Drop the plastic

Prefer glass boxes to keep food scraps.
It's better for the planet and for our health. Ditto for water ... If you are in a city where the tap water is not too hard (and drinkable of course), try filling a glass bottle rather than buying packs of water every week ... It will do good for the planet, but also for your back! 😊

• Get rid of disposable bags

Down with plastic bags, yes, but also paper bags!
We agree, they are more ecological because they are biodegradable, but their manufacture requires a lot of water and trees…
So for shopping, we opt for reusable fabric bags. All the brands offer you totebags (free or for a very reasonable price!) So don't leave them piled up in a cupboard but use them.
We ourselves offer a pretty Totebag 100% organic cotton, go quickly you get it here !
And even better: it is free from 50 € of purchase on the site!

• Stop disposable paper towels

Yes, we can do without our "Paper towel"!
All we need is one or more washable tea towels, microfibers or paper towels.

• Stop the aluminum foil and plastic film
  

A reusable fabric cover is more effective and aesthetic to decorate your bowls.
We recommend the brand Abeego which offers hemp and cotton fabrics coated with beeswax, tree resin and jojoba oil reusable
In addition to leaving breathe food, these fabrics are made with raw materials with antifungal and antibacterial properties.

According to the European Food Safety Authority, foods that come into contact with paper or aluminum containers may contain small traces of this metal which could be hazardous to health
When entering the body, aluminum becomes lodged in the tissues of the body. And it can accumulate dangerously in some of them, especially in bone tissue.
And without wanting to worry, some avenues of study are casting doubt on the role of dietary aluminum in Alzheimer's disease (could be a factor), in certain types of cancer, in infertility, and for pregnant women (could cross the placenta… In short, if in doubt, let's go without!

• Manufacture your household products

Fast, economical and ecological!
Multipurpose cleanser recipe: fill 2/3 of a spray bottle with water, complete the rest with white vinegar and a few drops of lemon or tea tree essential oil.

• Compost your waste

Here, you think we’re crossing the line. Nice for those who live in the countryside (by the way, some town halls provide compost bins free of charge) but, not possible for city dwellers?
Yes, there are apartment composters (without worms!). You can compost fruit and vegetable peelings, green waste from your plants, ashes, tea, coffee grounds, broken eggshells, leftover vegetarian meals ...

• Repair your household appliances

There are “Repair Cafés” where volunteers can repair broken items you bring for free. This leads you to buy quality products that last a long time and fight "planned obsolescence."
What is it? Well this refers to all the techniques adopted by a manufacturer to limit the life of his device.
Why? The reason is simple: the less it lasts, the more we buy it back…
The consequences?
~ Ecological disaster: In France, nearly 40 million devices break down and are not repaired but rather replaced…
~ Social impact: Less repairs = many repairer jobs lost…
Go take a look at the list of Repair Cafés: https://repaircafe.org/fr/

And finally, if we want to go further, or for those most advanced in the zero waste journey, measure your ecological footprint thanks to this small questionnaire very well done from WWF, and reduce your consumption thanks to their advice to change your lifestyle.
(Small downside: the amounts are in Swiss francs, so convert: 1 € = 0.88 Swiss francs 😊)

Here we are, we hope that it will help you take the plunge for the most late (no shame), and that it will help to help the most informed!

After the zero waste objective in the kitchen, do not hesitate to go and see our articles "zero waste objectives" in the bathroom and in the office !

.