The kitchen might be the room of the house where we waste the most, and not only in terms of food waste (which we already talked about in Part I). Here are some tips to minimise waste and sustainably use the dishwasher (links below).

Recycling:
Rule #1: Recycle
Rule #2: Recycle well
I stress that we should learn to "Recycle well" because it's more complicated than it may seem. The rules about recycling vary across cities, for starters. To navigate the unchartered waters of recycling, I use the Junker app, which provides indications on which bin to throw specific waste in, based on the barcodes and symbols that are on the packaging. It also has a search engine for generic products.
Although it might seem obvious, remember that for your organic waste bin you should only use garbage bags that are destined for that bin specifically (and are thus compostable, otherwise it doesn't make any sense).
Once you've learned more about recycling well, show everyone around you how it's done and spread the word!
Minimising unsorted waste:
Ideally, we should try to reduce our unsorted waste, since it cannot be recycled. Here are some ways to do that:
- Buying compostable parchment paper (or reusable silicone parchment paper).
- Buying white paper napkins (the white ones are compostable, contrary to the coloured ones) or, even better, using cloth napkins instead, skipping paper napkins all together (which is also prettier).
- Using washable cleaning rags (which you can make out of old shirts and T-shirts) instead of disposable ones (which belong to the unsorted waste).
- If we really can't give up on straws, we should at least opt for reusable ones. Plastic straws end up in the unsorted waste because they cannot be recycled, so we should really try to avoid them. Among the alternatives, stainless steel straws last longer, while the ones made of bamboo are compostable. However, any reusable straw you choose will be better than the disposable ones.
If you have many people over and not enough reusable straws, an alternative that is not reusable but is still better than plastic, are "pasta" straws (try with raw ziti!), which have great texture and no flavour. However, remember that skipping straws is still the best option.
- Another thing we should give up on are coffee pods made of plastic or aluminium. Ideally, we should use a coffee maker instead of a coffee machine; that way we wouldn't need any pods at all. However, if that's too big of a sacrifice, there are pods that you can throw in the compost bin or reusable stainless steel pods (I tried them but didn't like them).
Water:
In some cities it's okay to drink tap water. Alternatively, there are filters that you can put on your kitchen sink or you could buy a BRITA pitcher, which filters water.
Eliminating water bottles means saving plastic/glass, avoiding the hassle of carrying them, and, though marginally, saving money.
Dishwasher vs Hand Washing:
Surprisingly, using the dishwasher is often more sustainable than washing dishes by hand. Dishwashers allow us to save water and are generally more effective than hand washing. Today, there are several energy efficient dishwashers on the market. Energy consumption depends on the energy efficiency class, which we should pay attention to.
The guidelines for dishwashers to actually be more sustainable are:
- Only use them at full load;
- Avoid pre-wash: rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher is more than enough;
- Avoid heated air drying, by simply opening the dishwasher after the final wash;
- Prefer washes at low temperatures;
- Take good care of the dishwasher by cleaning its filter and regularly adding salt to ensure they have a longer life;
- Purchase unpackaged detergent and avoid dishwasher tablets that are individually wrapped in plastic.
Where to buy some of the goodies that I mentioned:
- Bamboo straws: https://www.bambaw.com/products/bamboo-straws
- Stainless steel straws: https://www.bambaw.com/products/stainless-steel-straw-set
- BRITA pitcher: https://www.brita.it/fill-and-enjoy
- Compostable coffee pods (Caffè Vergnano): https://www.caffevergnano.com/capsule-compostabili-espresso1882
- Compostable coffee pods (Lavazza): https://www.lavazza.it/it/caffe/capsule/a-modo-mio/ricco.html
- BRITA sink filter: https://www.brita.it/onTap
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