Eat it, some would say. But, with the title of this article, we intend to go a little further and discuss what happens with what’s left of the food, or the ingredients we use to prepare it.
Why? Simple! Because we’re part of the “green” wave, where reducing, recycling and reusing is what’s important. And we can do it with food. Earth’s future seems bleak, but there are reasons to be optimistic. Let’s review some of the key aspects of waste separation in our kitchen:
Recycling
- With the used oil you can make soap. For every litre that’s thrown down the drain, we contaminate 100 litres of drinking water. So, what to do? Store oil that can no longer be used in a jug, then strain and clean it well, before mixing it with water and sodium carbonate. There are lots of recipes to make soap with natural ingredients like oatmeal or aloe vera, and they contain excellent properties to treat skin problems and acne.
- Use coffee grounds to scent rooms.Its aroma is perfect for eliminating bad smells. The powder that remains in the coffee maker retains that delicious and unmistakable smell; to make the most of it, take the powder and let it dry, then put it in cloth bags and leave them in places like closets, the shoe drawer, or near the cat litter or rubbish bin.
- Create homemade fertiliser for your plants (compost).To do so, collect organic waste from the kitchen, such as fruits and vegetables, eggshells, kitchen paper, oil, tree leaves, flowers, and coffee grounds, and grind it up. You then have to add dry materials to this mixture, like dry leaves and branches, so that it’s well covered.
The resulting mixture should be placed somewhere that isn’t exposed to rain or sun. It has to be mixed once a week, and also each time that new organic waste is added to the mix. After three months, a black, moist and odourless compost will be obtained.
Second Uses:
Nowadays, it doesn’t make much sense that we waste food by throwing it in the bin, when we can give it a second life. Our grandmothers told us not to throw away food and they’re absolutely right, because we can really make the most of it to take care of the planet and our health.
One of the trends in this regard is trash-cooking, or full-use cooking, which is becoming more and more popular among consumers and even the best chefs, who are beginning to get on board to create delicious dishes where everything is used and nothing is thrown away. You can:
- Prepare jam with the ripest fruits. Add a sweet but healthy touch to your breakfasts. The recipe isn’t anything more complicated than blending the fruit, squeezing a touch of lemon, adding the sugar, cooking it over a low heat while stirring until it thickens, cooling it, then vacuum packing it so it lasts longer. The most interesting thing is that the best raw ingredient to prepare it with is that fruit that’s been spoiling for days in the fridge.
- Use lemon peel for digestion and orange peel for ants. When it comes to improving digestion, lemon peel tea is very effective. It can be drunk after eating or at some time in the afternoon to promote gastrointestinal transit and combat excess intestinal gas. Meanwhile, the acidic smell of orange peel repels insects and is much more environmentally friendly than any chemical pesticide.
- Make the most of banana skin for a face mask. Before throwing it in the bin or adding it to the compost heap, you only have to wash your face with soap and water before rubbing the inside of a (freshly-peeled) banana skin over it for about 30 minutes, then washing with warm water.
The whole team that makes amiPASS. We work hand-in-hand with a large number of businesses that also think “green”. They have the best products to offer, which you can use and reuse to take care of yourself and the environment.
Go to www.amipass.cl and learn about everything we do to take care of the Earth, with useful tips on our blog. Download the amiPASS app, to discover which of our allies have joined this important cause, and to enjoy all the benefits of being an amiPASS customer .
