Article written by Lucy Jones. In her day job, Lucy works closely with businesses to help them optimize their eco credentials. Away from the office, she’s a passionate blogger, and most enjoys creating content on the topic of sustainability.
In recent years, with the impacts of climate change being brought into sharper focus, we’ve all grown more aware of the role we have to play in taking care of our planet. Sustainable living should seep into just about every aspect of our lifestyles, but, since it’s where we spend the most time, any commitment to eco-living should always start at home.
There are opportunities in every room to make more sustainable choices, from energy-saving measures to being more responsible with waste disposal. One area you might have overlooked is water consumption. Excessive water use can have huge impacts on both local environments and in the context of the wider global climate crisis.
It’s estimated that the kitchen accounts for around 10% of the average household’s total water usage. While this is only a relatively small percentage, every little helps when it comes to making positive, sustainable changes to our lifestyles. So, how can we all be more responsible with water use in this part of the home? Whether it’s a small change to your habits or leveraging modern technology to create opportunities for savings, being more conscientious with water use may require less effort than you think.
Naturally, the taps in our homes have a huge effect on domestic water use and waste. Fortunately, there are lots of things we can do to use our taps more efficiently and save precious resources. Firstly, don’t ignore any leaks or drips. It’s estimated that a single dripping tap wastes around 5,500 liters of water every year. There are a number of reasons why a tap might start to drip, whether the plumbing has been damaged or there’s an issue with the water pressure. Whatever the cause, if you notice a tap starting to drip, speak to a plumber who will be able to identify and fix the problem, saving you both money and water.
Another step you can take is to install a low-flow tap or aerator in your kitchen. These devices can help to conserve water without you noticing any difference in the water supply or pressure. This technology can be applied to taps (and showers) throughout the home, which can create huge savings in the long run.
The dishwasher and washing machine are two of the biggest offenders when it comes to water waste in the kitchen. While modern machines are far more effective at reducing waste than older models, a single wash cycle can still use tens of liters of water (depending on the settings you use), so it’s crucial to do what we can to improve their efficiency.
This should start with getting into the habit of only switching them on once they’re full. Running a half-empty dishwasher will leave you eventually needing to use more water to clean the same amount of dishes, so hold off turning it on until you have enough dirty dishes to fill it up. The same principle applies to the washing machine, but overfilling it can be counterproductive as the clothes won’t be washed properly and will likely need an extra cycle.
As well as thinking carefully about how you fill them up, modern appliances will give you the option to use more efficient settings to save both water and energy. The very best models on the market will generally use no more than 7.5 liters per cycle. This might not sound like very much, but if you do two cycles a day, this equates to almost 56,000 liters over the course of a year. Make sure you utilize any energy/water-saving functions to reduce wastage and unnecessary consumption.
It’s easy to take for granted having instant access to clean, fresh water. This means we might not think twice about pouring used water away, since we can just top up with more from the tap. However, it’s a good habit to get into to always think about opportunities where we can reuse and repurpose water in your kitchen.
For example, after boiling food, rather than pouring the saucepan of water into the sink, use it to water some plants in the garden. Or, if you’ve been handwashing dishes, use the dishwater to soak other utensils before giving them a proper clean. Once you get into the habit of reusing water at every opportunity instead of reaching for the tap, you will soon notice how quickly the savings can accumulate.