A fridge too far? Living sustainably in NYC by unplugging appliances

There are those who recycle and composting are not nearly enough, who have reduced annual waste to almost zero, ditched the clothes dryer or gave up flying, and are ready to take the next step to explore the boundaries of sustainable living.

For Manhattan resident and vegan Josh Spodek, that means no refrigerator, which he identified as the biggest source of electricity in his Greenwich Village apartment.

Spodek started by deciding to open without packaging, and one small step led to another.

Today, he lives almost off the grid in a city that is in many ways the epitome of networking.

“It’s a mindset shift that goes on and on,” Spodek said.

First he removed the refrigerator for three months of winter, and then the next year for about six months – from November to early spring – when food is generally kept for about two days on the windowsill. Now, he has been without a refrigerator for over a year.

Spodek is quick to point out that he’s not against refrigeration in general, but thinks it’s unnecessary for everyone to be on the go 24/7. In many parts of the world, he notes, refrigerators are rare.

“People in Manhattan lived without refrigerators until the middle of the 20th century,” he says, “so it’s obviously possible.”

Safety concerns

Critics are quick to point out that this experiment cannot be taken lightly.

“People’s lives can be at risk if certain foods disappear. Certain dairy products disappear easily and quickly if you are not careful,” said Frank Talty, founder and president of the Refrigeration Institute in New York, which trains students to install and service refrigerators and air conditioners. .

When I first removed the refrigerator, Spodek said, “I’m honestly not sure I can live a week without it. I don’t have a plan how I’m going to get by without one.

“But I think it won’t kill me, and I can always reconnect.”

Skeptics say that daily shopping is not an option for many

Being vegan without needing to ingest meat or dairy products definitely helps.

Skeptics – and there are many – point out that not having a fridge requires daily grocery shopping.

For those with large families or those who have to drive to get groceries, more frequent shopping trips can offset the energy savings. Not to mention, the discomfort will be untenable for most.

In addition, improvements in refrigeration over the years mean that they typically use less power than, for example, heating systems or water heaters.

“While using less energy is always commendable, most households can make more of an impact by switching to more efficient methods of heating and cooling their homes, like heat pumps,” said Joe Vukovich, an energy efficiency advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council. .

While refrigerators “used to be very inefficient in the ’70s and ’80s, their energy efficiency has improved significantly since then,” and continues to improve, he said.

Many stores will also recycle old refrigerators, and some utility companies offer incentives to retire older models.

Also, just using a different refrigerator can make a difference, Vukovich said: Opening the door less often, for example, saves energy.

“I don’t want to say there isn’t room for improvement, but the story of a more environmentally friendly refrigerator is a big success story,” Vukovich said.

However, Spodek noted that refrigerators usually don’t stop: “If everyone could live without a refrigerator for two weeks out of the year, it would save tremendous energy.”

And they can learn something.

Beyond the energy savings, Spodek – who works as an executive coach, teaches leadership as an adjunct professor at New York University, and blogs and podcasts about his experiences – says going fridge-free has improved his quality of life.

The fresher the food, the healthier it is

He buys fresh produce at farmers markets, receives boxes of produce from a farming cooperative (CSA, or community supported agriculture), stocks beans and grains and has become adept at several fermentation techniques.

They cook with an electric pressure cooker and, rarely, a toaster oven, providing portable solar panels and batteries. Since living in a city apartment, it means schlepping panel and battery pack up (and down) 11 flights of stairs a few days to the roof of the building.

It’s an exercise he describes as “almost spiritual.” As he climbed the stairs, he said, he thought about people around the world who live without modern conveniences.

“By doing this, I definitely learn more about their culture than if I just flew somewhere for a week.”

Without a refrigerator, they have also learned to cook better and use a wider variety of seasonal produce.

“In the winter, it’s just beets and carrots and potatoes and onions, plus dried beans and grains. I realized that’s how cooking works. You take what you have and make it taste good,” he said. “And now I just have to eat what I buy before it goes bad, or pickle it to make it last longer.”

Another aspect of his efforts to live more sustainably: Spodek says he hasn’t thrown out any trash since 2019. That’s because he says he hasn’t produced any non-compostable and non-recyclable waste to fill.

He also hasn’t flown since 2016 (his parents live nearby).

Although it may not change the world if someone consumes a little less power by removing the refrigerator, Spodek notes that, like the zero-waste movement, “What I do is important.”

“Setting an example for millions of people to see that this even works? That’s huge.”