There are many components to a sustainable kitchen. If you are serious about being Green, here is a start for ideas:
· One green step that doesn't add to your costs is to select Energy Star appliances. Your refrigerator represents up to 15 percent of your total electric bill. Energy Star refrigerators today use 40 percent less energy than 2001 models, so an upgrade is likely to save you money.
· You can also save a considerable amount of energy by using fluorescent or LED lighting.
· Limiting the size of your kitchen is another important consideration—according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average size of an American kitchen has increased 215 percent from 1950 to 2004. Consider how much space you really need.
· You can also incorporate sustainability into the function of your kitchen by recycling food containers and composting food waste.
· Flooring: Two relatively inexpensive options have been around for a long time: linoleum and cork. Both are extremely durable and come from natural, renewable resources. They are resilient (soft), which makes them comfortable to stand on. They come in an extensive range of colors or patterns. Both linoleum and cork are available as tiles or click-together systems you can install yourself. Linoleum is made from linseed oil, pigments, and pine rosin. There are no toxic products used in its production and it does not offgas VOCs. (Chemically sensitive individuals should be warned that it does smell of linseed oil.) Linoleum floors inhibit bacterial growth and if properly installed can last up to 50 years. Cork is made from the bark of cork-oak trees, which can be harvested every nine to ten years. The flooring sheets are made with waste from the manufacture of wine-bottle corks. For kitchen and bathroom floors, cork should be sealed. You can apply a water-based polyurethane at home, but I recommend ordering a floor with a factory-applied finish, which will last longer. (Be sure to verify the VOC content, as factory finishes often contain harmful chemicals.).
· Cabinetry: Choosing kitchen cabinetry can be confusing. There are many options: low- to zero-VOC panel products, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified plywood, rapidly renewable agrifiber boards (such as wheatboard, made from the shaft of the wheat stalk, an agricultural waste product), or reclaimed wood. Cabinetry can also be expensive. Consider reusing your existing cabinet boxes and replacing only the doors.Countertops: The high cost of countertops like IceStone and Vetrazzo may contribute to the perception that green materials cost more. Trend Q, is a recycled-glass agglomerate that looks like Vetrazzo but is thinner (¼" thick). Depending on the complexity of the installation, Trend Q can cost half as much as Vetrazzo. (The product requires a certified installer.) Paperstone is another countertop you might consider. Again, the cost of the material and the installation is considerably less than IceStone or Vetrazzo. A ¾"-thick, very dense panel made from recycled paper, Paperstone is heat and water resistant.
· One green step that doesn't add to your costs is to select Energy Star appliances. Your refrigerator represents up to 15 percent of your total electric bill. Energy Star refrigerators today use 40 percent less energy than 2001 models, so an upgrade is likely to save you money.
· You can also save a considerable amount of energy by using fluorescent or LED lighting.
· Limiting the size of your kitchen is another important consideration—according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average size of an American kitchen has increased 215 percent from 1950 to 2004. Consider how much space you really need.
· You can also incorporate sustainability into the function of your kitchen by recycling food containers and composting food waste.
· Flooring: Two relatively inexpensive options have been around for a long time: linoleum and cork. Both are extremely durable and come from natural, renewable resources. They are resilient (soft), which makes them comfortable to stand on. They come in an extensive range of colors or patterns. Both linoleum and cork are available as tiles or click-together systems you can install yourself. Linoleum is made from linseed oil, pigments, and pine rosin. There are no toxic products used in its production and it does not offgas VOCs. (Chemically sensitive individuals should be warned that it does smell of linseed oil.) Linoleum floors inhibit bacterial growth and if properly installed can last up to 50 years. Cork is made from the bark of cork-oak trees, which can be harvested every nine to ten years. The flooring sheets are made with waste from the manufacture of wine-bottle corks. For kitchen and bathroom floors, cork should be sealed. You can apply a water-based polyurethane at home, but I recommend ordering a floor with a factory-applied finish, which will last longer. (Be sure to verify the VOC content, as factory finishes often contain harmful chemicals.).
· Cabinetry: Choosing kitchen cabinetry can be confusing. There are many options: low- to zero-VOC panel products, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified plywood, rapidly renewable agrifiber boards (such as wheatboard, made from the shaft of the wheat stalk, an agricultural waste product), or reclaimed wood. Cabinetry can also be expensive. Consider reusing your existing cabinet boxes and replacing only the doors.Countertops: The high cost of countertops like IceStone and Vetrazzo may contribute to the perception that green materials cost more. Trend Q, is a recycled-glass agglomerate that looks like Vetrazzo but is thinner (¼" thick). Depending on the complexity of the installation, Trend Q can cost half as much as Vetrazzo. (The product requires a certified installer.) Paperstone is another countertop you might consider. Again, the cost of the material and the installation is considerably less than IceStone or Vetrazzo. A ¾"-thick, very dense panel made from recycled paper, Paperstone is heat and water resistant.
2 comments:
Curious to know what third party certifications these products hold?
Having recyled glass content is not enough.
Agreed.
Post a Comment