A leading expert has stressed the important of evaluating the green credentials of the kitchen.Writing in the New York Times, Jay Romano said that the indulgence and carefree attitude to consumption which can be applied to energy as much as to food over the festive period means that the New Year is the ideal time to look at how improvements can be made in the kitchen.Kitchen appliances are one item which should be looked at, with an eye on trading old inefficient models in for newer, greener alternatives.Another expert, technical director for Conservation Services Group Bruce Harley, told the newspaper If you wait until your equipment dies, youre going to be making a panic purchase, and youre not going to spend the time looking for the most energy-efficient model.The environmental impact of the kitchen can also be reduced by keeping an eye on the waste that it generates and disposing of it in a safe manner.A food waste disposer such as a model from the In-Sink-Erator range can lessen the effects of organic matter entering the water system.