Planning a new build and wanting to make sure your kitchen is eco-friendly? Maybe you’re finally remodeling your kitchen into the space of your dreams, and you want to minimize your impact in regards to waste, while still creating a beautiful new space. There are more options than ever for designing your ultimate kitchen and being environmentally conscious. Here are some tips to help you design your kitchen, while keeping the environment in mind.
Energy Efficient Appliances
When designing your kitchen, be sure to incorporate energy efficient appliances. They’ll save you money on your bills, while also reducing your carbon footprint. Most appliances available these days are Energy Star certified. You may be wavering between saving money by reusing your old appliances, or upgrading to something new. If you’re hesitant, rest assured the upgrade is worth it. Be sure to recycle your old appliances. Many retailers will remove and recycle them for you, with the purchase of new appliances.
Repurpose Or Recycle
Repurposing items in your design not only saves on waste and resources, it also allows for creativity in your design. If remodeling an existing kitchen, consider refinishing, or re-facing your cabinets. Even if you plan on completely changing the footprint of your kitchen, cabinet boxes can be carefully removed and reused. One word of caution on reusing cabinets, consider the age of the house. In older homes the cabinets were built in place, if this is the case in your home, your cabinets may not be reusable. Whether remodeling, or starting from scratch, salvage shops can be a great source for cabinets, if you want to use something pre-existing rather than buying new.
Salvage shops, resale websites, antique stores, even your own basement or attic can be an excellent way to incorporate elements into your kitchen that prevent items from going into landfills. Consider using a unique table as a kitchen island, keep the original top, or replace with a salvaged piece of marble. Rewire and refinish an antique light fixture, instead of buying new. The ideas are endless, and to top it all off, by repurposing, many times you’re saving money while saving the environment.
Design For the Long Term
Being environmentally friendly is about more than recycling, or upcycling. You want to design a space that will last for years, and feel timeless. Not a trendy space that you’ll gut and redo within 10 years. Consider the materials that will last the longest, and require the least maintenance. This will reduce your environmental footprint in terms of waste. You want your hardest working surfaces to be as durable as possible, to prevent having to replace them.
Your countertops are the true workhorse in your kitchen. They need to be hardy enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily life. When searching for “green” options, there are many products out there. Many are not durable enough to survive years of hard use, and stain or chip easily. Others are prohibitively expensive. For example, recycled glass countertops are beautiful, but starting at around $80 a square foot, may be out of reach for many people, and are prone to chipping. This is why natural stone, and granite countertops still make an excellent choice in an environmentally friendly kitchen. Natural stone countertops start around $50 a square foot for granite and marble, making them budget friendly. Natural stone lasts a lifetime, and it requires very low maintenance, which means your countertops will still look brand new in 5 to 10 years. Granite and natural stone countertops are easily recycled, keeping them out of landfills, and reducing waste.
Beware of VOCs
If you’ve read a home improvement article, or watched a design show in the past few years, you’ve heard of VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds. You know they’re bad, but what exactly are they? VOCs are toxic chemicals released into the air in a process called off gassing. The smell of new paint, is an example of this. That old familiar smell is the result of chemicals that can have a negative effect on your health. VOCs negatively affect air quality in your home. Paint, wood finishes, and countertop adhesives are just a few of the products that release VOCs into your home. Fortunately, there are many low VOC alternatives available. Do your research, and be aware of which products are being used in your house.
Environmentally friendly design doesn’t have to be difficult, or look a specific way. It’s as easy as being mindful of your choices. Carefully sourcing your materials, reusing items whenever possible, and making simple swaps, like using low VOC paint instead of traditional can have a huge impact. You can enjoy your new kitchen, knowing its beautiful, unique, and eco conscious.
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