Three Ways to Reduce Kitchen Waste
Happy February, everyone!
This is usually the month where I figure out which of my New Years resolutions are going to stick, and which ones were a little far-fetched. So maybe I won’t be running any marathons this year, but I’m still determined to make some changes for the better! If you’re like me, you’re probably interested in ways to reduce your impact on the environment. A great way to do this is to limit what we send from our homes to the landfill. The more waste we keep out of the earth, the less damage we do to our watershed through habitat loss, greenhouse gas production, and pollution seepage.
In this edition of “What’s Up, Watershed?”, I’ll go over three small changes you can make this year to reduce waste at home — this time focusing on the kitchen.
Homemade Broth
We’re in the thick of winter at this point in the year, so what better time is there to talk about a kitchen favorite of mine: soup! Soups typically have a vegetable or animal-product base called broth (or stock, depending on how it was made). Many food scraps that we usually discard, such as carrot peels, bones, the ends of onions and celery, and wilted herbs, can be used to make broth right at home. These recipes are infinitely customizable, but I usually use some interpretation of this vegetable broth recipe or this chicken stock recipe.
Reusable Paper Towels
December and January bring a lot of holiday parties to my house, and with parties comes messes. By the time it’s over, I’ve probably grabbed a hundred paper towels without thinking and there’s usually a mountain sitting in my trashcan. One solution I want to try out this year is reusable “paper” towels. These are actually cloth dish towels, but they are smaller and fit around a towel holder. It’s hard to change muscle memory behaviors, but this way, the only thing you’re changing is throwing the towel into a laundry basket, rather than a trash can. You can find reusable paper towels on sustainability websites such as the zero waste store, or you can make your own using old cotton shirts/scrap fabric.
Bokashi Composting
Even though we all try our best to reduce waste in the kitchen, there are usually still a few things left over that you just can’t reuse. Backyard composting is a traditional way to recycle plant matter and paper waste, but it has limitations. It requires space that people living in apartments (such as myself) typically don’t have to spare, and the microbiome that makes traditional compost work can’t digest animal products. Luckily, bokashi composting addresses both of these issues! This method of composting can be done in a five-gallon bucket, and since it’s powered by fermentation, it can handle animal products just fine. PRC will host bokashi workshops throughout 2026, so be sure to sign up if you want a hands-on lesson! We also have a guide to bokashi composting for folks who can’t attend but are still interested in learning more.
Ultimately, there are lots of small changes you can make this year that can have a big impact over time. I hope this edition of “What’s Up, Watershed?” gave you a little bit of inspiration.
See you next time!
Photos shown (top to bottom) Garlic & Zest, Zero Waste Store, Laura Blood
“WHAT’S UP, WATERSHED” BLOG SERIES
CLICK HERE to read Winter Wildlife: Secrets to Skipping the Winter Season
Meet PRC Environmental Program Coordinator Ryan Rabenold
Ryan’s work is centered around environmental education and creating equitable access to green stormwater infrastructure resources. They have a background in watershed conservation, as well as community engagement and grassroot activism. In their free time, Ryan enjoys kayaking and hiking, writing short fiction, and exploring international cuisine.
