There are those for whom recycling and composting are not nearly enough, who have , ditched their clothes dryer or , and are ready to take the next step in exploring the frontiers of sustainable living.

For Manhattanite Josh Spodek, that has meant going without a refrigerator, which he identified as the biggest source of electrical use in his Greenwich Village apartment.

Spodek began by deciding to go packaging-free, and one small step led to another. Now, he is living in a city that in many ways is the epitome of grids.

B次元官网网址淚t was a mindset shift followed by continual improvement,B次元官网网址� Spodek says. He first unplugged the fridge for three winter months, and then the next year for around six months (from November to early spring, when food generally kept for about two days on his windowsill). Now, heB次元官网网址檚 been fridge-free for over a year.

Spodek is quick to point out that heB次元官网网址檚 not against refrigeration in general, but views it as unnecessary for everyone to have running 24/7. In many parts of the world, he notes, refrigerators are a rarity.

B次元官网网址淧eople in Manhattan lived without refrigeration until the mid 20th century,B次元官网网址� he says, B次元官网网址渟o itB次元官网网址檚 clearly doable.B次元官网网址�

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

B次元官网网址淧eopleB次元官网网址檚 lives can be at risk if certain foods go off. Certain dairy products go off very easily and quickly if youB次元官网网址檙e not careful,B次元官网网址� says Frank Talty, founder and president of the New York-based Refrigeration Institute, which trains students to install and service refrigerators and air conditioners.

When he first unplugged his fridge, Spodek says, B次元官网网址淚 honestly wasnB次元官网网址檛 sure I could survive a week without it. I didnB次元官网网址檛 really have a plan for how I would get by without one. But I figured it wouldnB次元官网网址檛 kill me, and I could always plug it in again.B次元官网网址�

Being a vegan without the need to refrigerate meat or dairy products certainly helps.

Skeptics B次元官网网址� and there are many B次元官网网址� point out that going without a refrigerator requires near-daily food shopping. For those with large families or who need to drive to get groceries, more frequent shopping trips could cancel out the energy savings. Not to mention, the inconvenience would be untenable for most.

Also, mean they typically use less power now than, say, a heating system or water heater.

B次元官网网址淲hile using less energy is always laudable, most households could make more of an impact by switching to more efficient ways of heating and cooling their home, like a heat pump,B次元官网网址� says Joe Vukovich, an energy efficiency advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

While refrigerators B次元官网网址渦sed to be massively inefficient in the B次元官网网址�70s and B次元官网网址�80s, their energy efficiency has increased dramatically since then,B次元官网网址� and continues to improve, he says. Many stores will also recycle old refrigerators, and some utility companies offer incentives for retiring older models.

Also, just using your fridge differently can make a difference, Vukovich says: Opening the door less frequently, for example, saves energy.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to say thereB次元官网网址檚 no room for improvement, but the story of more environmentally friendly refrigerators is a massive success story,B次元官网网址� Vukovich says.

Still, Spodek notes that refrigerators are typically on nonstop: B次元官网网址淚f everyone could live without a fridge for, say, two weeks over the course of the year, it would save an extraordinary amount of power.B次元官网网址�

And they might learn something.

Beyond the energy savings, Spodek B次元官网网址� who works as an executive coach, teaches leadership as an adjunct professor at New York University, and blogs and podcasts about his experiences B次元官网网址� says that going fridge-free has improved his quality of life. He buys fresh produce at farmers markets, receives boxes of produce from a farm cooperative (CFA), keeps a stock of dried beans and grains, and has become adept at some fermentation techniques.

He cooks with an electric pressure cooker and, very rarely, a toaster oven, powering them with a portable solar panel and battery pack. Since he lives in a city apartment, that means schlepping the panel and battery pack up (and down) 11 flights of stairs a couple of times a day to the roof of his building.

ItB次元官网网址檚 an exercise he describes as B次元官网网址渁lmost spiritual.B次元官网网址� When heB次元官网网址檚 climbing the stairs, he says, he thinks about people around the world who live without modern amenities. B次元官网网址淭hrough doing this, IB次元官网网址檓 definitely learning more about their cultures than if I just flew somewhere for a week.B次元官网网址�

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

B次元官网网址淚n the winter, itB次元官网网址檚 just beets and carrots and potatoes and onions, plus dried beans and grains. I realized that thatB次元官网网址檚 how cuisine happens. You take what you have and you make it taste good,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淎nd now I just have to eat what I buy before it goes bad, or pickle it so it lasts a bit longer.B次元官网网址�

Other aspects of his efforts to live more sustainably: Spodek says he has not taken out the trash since 2019 (he hasnB次元官网网址檛 produced enough non-compostable, non-recyclable waste to fill it yet) and hasnB次元官网网址檛 flown since 2016 (his parents live nearby).

While it might not change the world if one person consumes a bit less power by unplugging their fridge, Spodek notes that, as with the Zero Waste movement, B次元官网网址淲hat I do does matter.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淪etting an example for millions of people so that they see that this is even possible? ThatB次元官网网址檚 huge.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擪atherine Roth, The Associated Press