Building a Sustainable Kitchen

Building a Sustainable Kitchen is the thoroughly researched and realistic step-by-step guide every climate-conscious cook needs to make the heart of their home more planet-friendly.

When Canadian food writer Naomi Hansen first started a “sustainability” blog, she was overwhelmed by conflicting advice, shiny advertisements, unrealistic recommendations, and a culture of shame. Building a Sustainable Kitchen is her antidote: a solutions-focused, no-nonsense guide designed to help you cut through disinformation and greenwashing to make your kitchen truly sustainable, one step at a time.

In each chapter, Naomi invites you on her journey to build a planet-friendly kitchen, with help from her husband Paul and their dog Rue. Drawing on wisdom from hundreds of expert interviews, academic studies, books, and more, as well as on the author's own experience as a regular Canadian in her humble kitchen, Building a Sustainable Kitchen demystifies the science behind how what we do in the kitchen every day affects our Earth, and most importantly, shows you what you can do about it.

Each chapter contains a wealth of flexible recommendations for achievable, evidence-based changes that make a real impact for the planet. Chapters on reducing food waste, understanding plant-based, local, seasonal, and organic eating, and gardening teach us about the food on our plates. Chapters on the potential and pitfalls of composting and recycling, learning what it really means to send waste to a landfill, and navigating the nitty gritty of disposable and reusable items help us reduce garbage and grow toward a circular economy. From water use, to cleaning, to choosing appliances, to our beloved coffees and teas, Building a Sustainable Kitchen leaves no stone unturned. This heartfelt, practical guide proves that building a sustainable kitchen is not just possible, but that it can also be joyful and transformative.