Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

cooking

The Sustainability of Cooking

by

Our daily lives consist of a lot of cooking, which can significantly impact the environment. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to saving the environment. These are some tips that can help you become eco-friendly when you are cooking:

Avoid single-use items: This includes disposable utensils, plates, and cups that end up in our landfills. If necessary, you can buy compostable and environmentally friendly substitutes or utilize reusable options.

Investing in an induction stove: These stoves are up to 10% more energy-efficient than electric stoves and three times more energy-efficient than standard gas stoves. Additionally, it is also better for your air quality. 

Disposing of cooking oil: Wait until your cooking oil has totally cooled before putting it in a metal can or plastic container instead of discarding it directly in the sink or the trash. You can then properly dispose of it in the trash after that. 

Reduce food waste: Meal planning for the week helps reduce the amount of food that is wasted unnecessarily. Furthermore, you can freeze or use your leftovers to create a new dish. 

Buy from local farmers: In addition to supporting local farmers, we can lessen our influence on the environment by supporting local farmers that grow their food without the use of pesticides and fertilizers. 

Together, we can reduce the environmental impact of our time spent in the kitchen!

By Miriam Flores

Flavor Boosting Gold

by

If you’ve already developed the household habit of collecting food scraps for compost, here is another benefit of diverting food waste from the landfill: homemade vegetable broth. Giving food scraps a second life by making broth is a way to reduce consumption of Tetra Pak cartons that are not recyclable in Utah. It is also a precursor to composting, reducing emissions of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas from food waste in landfills.

Keep rinsed vegetable scraps in the freezer, controlling any odor in a cold environment until you have collected enough for broth (a full bowl). Bring all the scraps to a boil in a large pot, adding spices and salt. Get creative with this- try making different broths for various types of recipes. Once up to a boil, reduce to a simmer for as long as you can while not leaving it unattended, an hour or two is ideal. Let the broth cool on its own with the lid on and heat off. Once it cools completely, strain and fill jars about 80% full so that the liquid does not crack the glass when it freezes and expands. Toss the vegetables into your compost.

This new habit is easy to create for your whole family. As you teach children to collect ingredients for broth – inspire them to gather “flavor boosting gold.”  Allow them to be the ones to label the 32-64 oz mason jars with the date and ingredients of that batch of broth.

By Kellie Hill, EATS Park City