Green Audit: Your Kitchen Food Pantry

Green audits of your home can be intense and each section of your home needs to be examined carefully. With that said I think it’s best to go over a home in smaller chunks than rooms — so that’s what we’ll be doing.

If you’re going to start doing a green audit of your living space it’s a good idea to grab a notebook and jot ideas and issues down as you go. The kitchen food pantry, or your food cupboards are small areas (unless you’ve got one of those cool walk-ins) but the amount of problems a pantry can have are fairly substantial.

Here we’ll only focus on food. You may keep paper goods and cleaning supplies in your pantry but for now focus on food items.

Things to consider:

Packaging overload: Take a look at what sort of items you buy. Is it over packaged. Here’s an example. One box of cereal can have the outer box, inner bag, a toy surprise packaged in another bag with paper instructions, and sometimes there are coupons that are also packaged in plastic. Or what about items like those taco making kits (packaging galore).

Many food boxes are made with recycled material but not all. Check the box which should indicate if recycled materials were used. You can recycle some packaging but something else to consider is the energy used to produce the packaging in the first place.

What you can do:

• Buy in bulk. If bulk buying makes you squeamish stay tuned for an upcoming post on that issue. You can buy tons of items in bulk and re-use the same bags or containers over and over.
• Buy the largest size of product you can. This tactic and bulk buying will not only save your family money but reduce the overall amount of packaging you purchase.
• Really look at the items you buy; is it necessary to have a food item in a plastic tray that has a plastic cover and box? Make a list of each item in your pantry that could have less packaging. Check off the items that would be just as great with less packaging and the next time you go the the grocery store find that item with less packaging.
• Buy fewer individually wrapped items. Fruit snacks, granola bars, seasoning packets, and so much more are huge package hogs.
• Don’t forget the drinks in your pantry. Big jugs of juice are better than juice boxes or small bottles. Look for bottles with safety caps that pop rather than shrink wrapped caps.
• When buying condiments buy in glass whenever possible. Squeezable bottles are not as easy to recycle because of how the plastic is layered. Also buy the biggest bottle possible.
• Often (not always) organic foods are processed less than conventional so it can help with energy conservation to buy organic.
• Buy local. Besides fruits and veggies you can get items like organic honey, wine, and baked goods from farmer’s markets and most co-ops also have a local section. Buying local seriously improves your chances of using less packaging and less energy.
• Another option for buying local is to choose small hometown grocery shops over biggie markets.
• It goes without saying that overall buy only items that come in recyclable containers.
• One good general rule is that the more simple the food item the less packaging it’s bound to have. Brown rice or plain noodles versus Pop Tarts or Noodle Roni for instance. Part of using less packaging is taking the time to plan meals that can be created using items with less packaging.
• Don’t go food shopping hungry — this tip is often used in conjunction with saving money but it also allows you to be clear headed and think green.

The first few trips to the grocery store after a pantry audit can be tough but once you start thinking about the impact of packaging you’ll do it automatically.

What are some problem areas of the pantry above? What are some of the good choices?

Although it’s a big huge step; greening your pantry is a great way to walk towards a healthier family and planet both on a food and energy level.

Tell me about your food pantry green audit and the changes you’re making.