Would You Give Up Your Fridge to Go Green?
How far are you willing to go in your pursuit of green?
For some environmentalists, it’s become a badge of honor to live without a fridge. It might be the ultimate convenience invention of the twentieth century, but the fridge accounts for about a fifth of domestic energy consumption.
Fridge-forgoing environmentalists believe they are making significant reductions to their electricity consumption by turning the fridge off and, depending on their needs, perhaps using a combination of a small freezer and a cool box instead. Many of the anti-fridge advocates live in cold climates such as Canada and the northern U.S., so food spoilage is less of an issue and they can even store things outside in winter.
Other environmentalists disagree, pointing out that the electricity consumption is not that great if you have a new, energy-efficient model and buy your power from renewable sources rather than dirty coal-fired plants. They also point out that you might end up wasting food if you can’t keep your perishables or leftovers cold and mold and bacteria-free.
I lived without a fridge for three months when working on a volunteer project in Costa Rica in the late 1990s, so I have some concept of how this would work, even in a warm climate.
In my experience it would require a pretty different lifestyle from what most Westerners are used to and for most people, the adjustment would be too great. We ate virtually nothing but black beans and rice and store-cupboard staples like peanut butter and canned tuna (which has sustainability issues of its own but I didn’t know that at the time, except to check if it was dolphin-safe). We had to boil the black beans for a certain amount of time to kill any bacteria and we had to throw away any uneaten rice (we composted it but it’s still wasteful). We had very few fresh vegetables and the only fruit was grown locally – mainly oranges and sweet lemons.
I’m sure if you gave up your fridge, you could eat something more closely resembling your usual diet but I’m equally sure it would require changes to the way you shop and eat. Some of those changes might be positive for the environment but I’m not sure that all of them would.
Let’s take me as an example. I love to cook and I buy the bulk of my food from an organic vegetable box scheme that delivers weekly to my flat in London. If I didn’t have a fridge I would not be able to buy fresh vegetables from the box scheme because they would not last a week. There are no farmers’ markets or health food stores near my house so instead I would have to buy conventionally grown, plastic-wrapped vegetables in small quantities from the supermarket every two or three days.
Equally, I could not buy anything else that requires refrigeration such as tofu or bread (we don’t eat a lot of bread in our house and the preservative-free organic variety tends to go moldy after a few days unless I store it in the fridge) and I wouldn’t know what to do with leftovers.
That’s before I even get to the more environmentally contentious foods such as meat, dairy and eggs. So I’m not sure it would be a net gain for the environment.
I’m also curious about the electricity consumption of a freezer versus a fridge. I don’t have a stand-alone freezer and if I had to choose between the two, I would say a fridge was more useful than a freezer. I’m interested to know what you think.
Meanwhile, you could check out this very clever piece of low technology – a “fridge” that runs without electricity, using pots of wet sand. It’s a particularly elegant solution for parts of the world that don’t have electricity or have an unreliable electricity supply (there’s little worse than having your food spoil because of a black-out).
But there’s no reason it wouldn’t work anywhere in the world so if anyone fancies a little DIY experiment I’d be fascinated to know how you get on.
If you are wedded to your fridge, there are a few simple steps you can take to reduce the energy impact.
If you are running an old fridge, it’s worth upgrading to a new energy-efficient model if you can afford to do so – see this ethical shopping guide for advice. You’ll be saving money on your electricity bills so it should pay for itself. If your current fridge is very old, you may even be able to find a second-hand one with better energy ratings through services such as Craigslist or Gumtree, auction sites such as eBay or secondhand dealers.
Unless you have a very large family, don’t go for an enormous fridge. American fridges tend to be bigger than anywhere else in the world but they don’t need to be so big. The bigger the fridge the more energy it needs to keep cool.
Green your electricity – make sure the revenue from your power bills helps fund investments in renewable energy.
Look into gadgets such as the eCube, which are designed to cut the energy consumption of a fridge by insulating the heat sensor so it doesn’t work too hard when the door is opened.
Remember that your choices about what you put into the fridge have an even bigger impact on the environment than the fridge itself. Also, just because you have a fridge doesn’t mean that food will keep indefinitely – plan wisely to reduce food waste.
Image: Matt McGee
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11 Comments
February 25th, 2009 at 6:47 am
For those who are energy conscious, maybe forgoing the fridge is not the answer. My husband is an electrician and used to worked for the electric company on Cape Cod for 35 years. He says that an electric dryer uses more power than a fridge. So use clothes lines in good weather and a wooden drying rack in bad. Don’t be so quick to throw clean clothes in the basket. Dry bath towels after using them. Weren’t you clean when you did use them. When I was a kid, you changed underpants and socks every day. Being a girl, I had to use an apron when we ate. Today, I still use the apron when I cook and sometimes keep it on to eat and do the dishes. This cuts down on laundry.
As far as the fridge, an energy efficient appliance is the way to go. But still, avoid the day dreamers keeping the door open while they ponder what’s good to eat, especially on hot days and lets not forget the heat is on in the house. This could make the motor work twice as hard and long. Then you have those that have to hang on the door while they stare into the cave. The door gets out of whack and bingo, AIR LEAK, fridge works overtime to keep things cold.
I don’t think anyone needs a walk in fridge but keeping in mind the size of your needs could save you money in the long run. Constant trips to the market to feed a family could get expensive gasoline wise and consider the compulsive shopping when you are hungry. Leftovers are priceless in this economy. What was a roast yesterday could be a beef stew one day and an incredible beef and barley soup in the end. I believe in MUST GO SOUPS. A fridge is a treasure chest and preserves and saves you money in the end. AND THAT’S THAT.
Elly D.
February 25th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Excellent points, Elly! Though I’m sure the people who have given up a fridge on environmental grounds wouldn’t dream of using a clothes dryer!
I love the picture Sara has picked to illustrate this post. Erm, let’s just say that if you DO give up your fridge, you should probably sell it, give it to charity or a needy family, or send it back to the manufacturer for recycling and NOT leave it out for trash collection!!
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February 25th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I’d be very interested in trying to live without a fridge. As you found in Costa Rica, Caitlin, it would require a real paradigm shift in food storage and preparation. I’d see that as a fascinating challenge.
I saw the electricity-free coolbox idea a few months back and loved it. And yes, surely there must be some application in cooler climates – just as with solar ovens. Yes, they’d be for the summer months, but they *could* be used. And surely it’s only a matter of time before a more hi-tec version comes along – say, one that uses a tiny trickle of electricity but is mainly using the power-free principle?
February 28th, 2009 at 11:13 am
One of the things I like about this post is that the question it asks helps dispel the notion that going green is easy. How far are you willing to go to live an environmentally sustainable lifestyle. Too many magazine articles etc. are always suggesting 10 Easy Ways to Go Green.
February 28th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Excellent article, very thought provoking. Thanks for pointing it my way!
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February 28th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I’m very concerned about the environment, but I’d be hard pressed to give up fresh vegetables, cream or cheese!
Great article Caitlin, very thought provoking.
February 28th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
note that YOU SHOULD NEVER LEAVE A REFRIDGERATOR at the curb with the doors on for safety reasons. (and it’s illegal in most cities) your photo depicts a dangerous mistake as many kids have been trapped and suffocated.
February 28th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
@Steven, well, fortunately going green really is getting easier, but thanks for your perspective!
I wonder what the story is behind the photographer taking this picture. At any rate, thanks for the word of warning.
@ Patty, interesting point. This fridge was due to be picked up immediately, I’m sure.
February 28th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
@Avital, thanks for stopping by
@ Christie – I agree, giving up cheese would be difficult. You’d have to stick to hard cheeses, pioneer-style.
March 16th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Caitlin – thanks for drawing my attention to your article. I have to say that I’d find it very tricky to live without my fridge. As a keen cook who lives on her own, I think I’d have a lot of waste. My fridge is always full of leftovers! I’d also have to buy everything ‘on the day’ at the supermarket rather than enjoying shopping at farmer’s markets and independent shops at the weekend and storing food until I need it. Certainly thought-provoking though!
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October 24th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I have always been interested in ways to live a greener life. I had never heard that your fridge uses that much energy, but it makes sense. You gave some really great advice that I think I’ll look into. Thanks!
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