MORE IDEAS FOR GREENING YOUR KITCHEN

If you're looking for certain new appliances, such as refrigerators or dishwashers, consider buying those that have earned the Energy Star, which means they meet energy-efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. "I'm not saying junk the kitchen and go spend $10,000 on a brand-new everything "” it doesn't need to be that," says Laurel Kohl, an education specialist for the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University. "But as you're looking at new appliances and changes you want to make, choose smart." 

More information: www.energystar.gov. 

Pay attention to whether your refrigerator closes tightly enough. "Stick a dollar bill in the door and see if you can pull it out," Kohl says. "... It just may be one more nail in the poor thing's coffin." 

Use tap water instead of bottled water when possible. "Tap water from a public source is highly tested and regulated. The water used for bottled water may not be, so it may not even be as safe or as clean as your tap water, and it may be very similar water to your tap water," Kohl says. Furthermore, "very few of them (water bottles) actually end up in the recycling stream." 

People with severely weakened immune systems or other reasons to be highly concerned about potential contaminants in their water can buy a home water treatment unit or "high-quality bottled water," according to the EPA. 

Avoid using excessive water for dish cleaning. If you use a lot of dishes, it may be better to use an energy-efficient dishwasher instead of hand washing, Kohl says. If you choose to wash them by hand, use a dishpan instead of leaving the water running, she says. 

Recycle. If there are items that aren't accepted curbside, find out if there are other ways to recycle or reuse them. 
Try to avoid excessive packaging. For example, "am I buying single-serve food for me or the kids that has a bunch of plastic, or can I pack my 14 Cheez-Its in a little yogurt cup that I've recycled?" Kohl says. 

Start tracking your home energy use. "Most of us find that if we write things down, we're a little more conscious about it," says Michael Abbate, author of "Gardening Eden: How Creation Care Will Change Your Faith, Your Life, and Our World" (WaterBrook Press, $13.99). 

Choose environmentally friendly cleaning products, which are readily available these days, says Josh Dorfman, the author of "The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $14.95), a new book which is basically a shoppers' guide to everything from cleaning products and garbage bags to flooring and furniture. "Convenience and accessibility are really important," he says. "The easier and more convenient green choices are for consumers, the more likely we're going to make them." 

Homemade cleaners are another option to consider, Abbate says. "People don't think about how the cleaning materials that we use end up going down our drains and end up going to our infrastructure," he says. Being sensitive to that can "help your overall community." 

Become part of the "local food community," by getting to know who your local grocers and farmers are, who manages your farmers markets, and who the sellers are, Abbate says. Often, produce has traveled "1,500 miles to get to your store, so think about it," he says. "If you can get something that came from 20 miles away, that's a huge difference." 

Also, "so much of the produce that you get that's not local hasn't ripened when it's been picked, so it hasn't had the opportunity to get the flavor that you would get with something that's actually allowed to mature," says Susan Kaempfer, manager of the New Albany (Ind.) Farmers Market. 
Invest in a reusable bag for groceries and other relatively small items. In recent years, plastic bags have fallen out of favor with many people, Kaempfer says. "It's been amazing to watch the transformation of people who are now bringing their own recyclable bags," she says. 

Grow your own food when possible. The benefits? "It's your lettuce, you grew it, you know you didn't use any chemicals on it, you know it's safe," Abbate says. Furthermore, "it's a great activity for kids."