10 Ways to GREEN your Fridge

Remember as a child when your father yelled, “Close the door!” as you stood in front of the fridge, pondering what to eat? Well, he was right: The refrigerator consumes more energy than any other household appliance. The average American fridge uses around 1,383 kilowatt hours a year, which is 14% of your household’s electrical needs and about $90 a year. But there are simple steps you can take to lighten your refrigerator’s impact on your wallet – and the environment. More importantly, many of these changes – some large and some small – can cut down on the chemicals and bacteria lingering in your fridge, which is healthier for everyone in the house.

1. DITCH THE PLASTIC: Plastic containers may be a kitchen staple, but there are some great reasons to switch to glass storage for your leftovers. Glass keeps food and beverages colder, which mean less work for the fridge. Glass is an all-natural, recyclable material, while many plastics are not. And with the potential health hazards associated with leaching plastic, glass containers are a smart alternative because they can go from the fridge to microwave to table without having to transfer and generate additional dirty dishes.
2. UPGRADE (AND DOWNSIZE): By replacing a fridge bought in 1990 with an Energy Star-qualified model, you could save enough energy to light a household for nearly 4 months. When you’re out shopping, look for the yellow U.S. Energy Guide sticker, which rates models for efficiency. Keep in mind that units with the freezer on top perform 10% to 25% more efficiently than side-by-side models. Also, consider buying a smaller model that consumes less energy and discourages waste.
3. FORGET ICE AND WATER DISPENSERS: Automatic ice makers and through-the-door ice and water dispensers increase your unit’s energy use by 14% to 20% and raise the price of a new refrigerator by $75 to $250. Skip these features and keep fully stocked ice trays, and use a pitcher-style filter to keep drinking water clean and chilled. If you can’t live without an automatic ice maker, make it the internal variety.
4. FILL ‘ER UP: A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one: The more space to cool, the harder the fridge has to work. Leave enough room for the chilled air to circulate around items. If you often have bare shelves, fill the extra space with water-filled containers.
5. MIND THE (EXPIRATION) DATE: Most people keep foods much longer than they should. Check labels for dates and throw out anything that is past expiration. It’s best to use your groceries before expiration rather than let them go to waste. A “sell-by” date tells grocers when to pull a product off store shelves; as a consumer, you have a few days past this date to use a product. A “use-by” date means exactly that: Use by that date, or toss the food. In general, leftovers should not be kept longer than three or four days.
6. KEEP IT CLEAN…NATURALLY: Even the tiniest spills can lead to bacterial growth, which speeds up food spoilage – and waste. Yet conventional cleaning products introduce toxic chemicals into your food zone. For a quick wipe down of shelves, use mild liquid soap or a on-to-one solution of white vinegar and water; for sticky spills that require gentle scouring, use baking soda and a damp sponge.
7. VACUUM THE COILS: The refrigerator coils, located both behind and underneath the fridge, are at the heart of the unit’s refrigerant system. They are also natural dust magnets: A cooling agent passes through the coils, and a fan blows across them, stirring up and attracting dust. The more dust, the less efficient the fan is at removing heat. Twice a year, use a vacuum cleaner with a long brush attachment to clean thoroughly around the coils.
8. CHECK THE SEALS: While you’re examining the exterior of the fridge, make sure the seals on the doors are tight. Place a dollar bill in the refrigerator door and close it. If you can easily pull out the dollar bill, the door needs to be adjusted or you may need to replace the rubber seal. Also, be sure to wipe down the seals regularly to prevent dust and grim buildup, which can interfere with the seals and over time lead to brittleness.
9. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: If your refrigerator is sitting next to the stove or a sunny window, consider moving the fridge to a different spot. For each degree above 70 degrees surrounding the fridge, the unit uses 2.5% more power to keep its contents cool. The best location is against a north or east wall.
10. TAKE YOUR TEMPERATURE: The optimal temperature range in the refrigerator is 36-38 degrees (in the freezer is should be zero). But for every degree below 38 degrees, the unit consumes 5% more energy. Because a built-in thermometer might not tell you the whole story, purchase a refrigerator thermometer, leave it in an easy-to-see spot, and check it periodically. Move the thermometer around in the refrigerator to determine which spots are coldest, and use this information to help guide storage decisions.