7 Eco-Friendly Ideas for your Kitchen Renovation

Renovating your kitchen? So many materials to choose from, so why not take this opportunity to go green! in other words, create a healthy living environment for you and your family by designing an eco-friendly kitchen using sustainable materials and energy efficient appliances. I am here to tell you that you can have a beautifully designed kitchen that will benefit the health of you and your family and also help the planet, what’s not to love about that?

Healthy indoor air quality depends on the products we choose.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a large group of chemicals that are found in many products we use to build and maintain our homes. Once these chemicals are in our homes, they are released or “off-gas” into the indoor air we breathe. Many of these chemicals live in our kitchen, in the cabinetry, paint, tile, laminates, countertops, wood treatments. These harmful chemical compounds are polluting the air we breathe and are a large part of the chronic health condition in both children and adults that is so prevalent in our society today. When you’re choosing a new kitchen consider all the ways you can use sustainable and recycled materials. Let’s take a look at some of my favorites.

1. Countertops

IceStone makes super durable counters from recycled glass and resin, 75% is recycled and 0% petrochemicals and resins, LEED credit eligible and cradle to cradle certified green. It comes in a variety of colors and if your a purist they have a few beautiful white options to choose from.

Bioglass is another durable countertop material made from 100% recycled glass from liquor bottles including beer, wine, champagne, rum bottles and sparkling water, as well as commercial and industrial glasses. Each Bio-Glass color is from one glass source creating the unique color of the product. It’s stain resistant, frost resistant, chemical resistant and fire resistant.

Another eco-friendly countertop material is from Richlite, it’s an incredibly durable, extremely versatile, and highly sustainable material made from resin-infused paper.

And last but not least, if you like the look of a wood counter Bamboo is a beautiful, sustainable and durable material.

What to know…

When choosing a countertop material ask these questions; is it a recyclable or renewable material? does it contain zero resins, glues, petrochemicals, plastics or chemical binders?

Photo: IceStone in White Pearl

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2. Cabinets

There are a few questions you can ask your architect or designer to ensure your cabinets are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Is the wood FSC certified? Forest Stewardship Council® certification ensures that products come from well-managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. Is it GREENGUARD Certified? ensures that a product has met some of the world’s most rigorous and comprehensive standards for low emissions of VOCs.

What to know…

Lots of trees go into the making of your cabinets, be aware of the origin and the manufacturing process. Most conventional cabinets, such as those made from plywood, pressed wood, particle board are assembled with glues that contain formaldehyde — a known carcinogen which off-gasses into your air long after the glue dries.

Photo: via A thoughtful Place

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3. Backsplash

Fireclay Tile has a wonderful sustainability program which not only addresses materials but also construction waste. They have a wide variety of beautiful handmade tiles, brick, clay, glass and hand painted. Their website is super informative regarding sustainability and their journey to zero waste.

Heath Ceramics is a California based company making beautiful handmade tiles since 1948. They source locally using clay from American soil. Produced sustainably and aiming for zero waste.

If metal backsplash tiles is a look your interested in check out these recycled metal tiles from Eco Friendly Flooring. Did you know aluminum takes hundreds of years to fully degrade in landfill, recycling consumes 95% less energy than making aluminum. So you’ll be doing the earth a favor by choosing a recycled metal backsplash.

What to know…

Look for tile manufacturers that qualify for most industry-leading sustainability certifications like US Green Building Council Member and Climate Neutral. Look for local companies using natural materials and energy efficient manufacturing.

Image: Claytile/Designer: Anita Yokota

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4. Flooring

PID Floors has a great sustainability program and a wide variety of wood flooring products and loads of helpful information on their site.

reSAWN Timber Co specializes in reclaimed wood floors. The sourcing and transporting of reclaimed wood results in much lower emissions compared to logging, transporting, and processing new wood

Clay Imports uses hand made tile making techniques supporting local artisans and using natural clay from the earth. Terra Cotta Saltillo tiles adds a warm organic vibe to your floors. If you like the warm organic look of saltillo floor tiles this is a nice option.

What to know…

Ask your architect or designer if the wood flooring material is coming from a company that is committed to the environment. Look for FSC Certified Wood, GREENGUARD certification, FloorScore® certification, Cradle to Cradle Certification™.

Photo: PID Flooring

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5. Energy Efficient Appliances

Look for Energy-Star recommended brands. About 25% of energy used in our home is in our appliances so choosing Energy Star will save 40% in energy use over other options. Did you know top or bottom freezer models are more efficient, they use 7 to 13 percent less energy than side-by-side models.

6. Choose VOC-Free Paints

Many paint companies like Benjamin Moore, Farrow & Ball, Sherwin Williams and Behr have low and zero VOC paints, look for the stamp of approval from Green Seal.

7. Select Water Efficient Fixtures

Choosing the right eco-friendly faucets can dramatically reduce the amount of water used in your home. Look for the low-flow faucets, like those with the WaterSense label, you’ll be conserving water without sacrificing the luxurious feel of high water pressure.

Every product you put into your home has an environmental and health impact.

Here are some questions to ask regarding the environmental footprint of a material:
1. What is it made of (80% of the environmental impact of any product is what it’s made of)
2. Where is the energy generated?
3. What is the production process? How many chemical inputs are there?
4. Where is it made? Is it locally sourced?

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