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Cut down on the amount of materials needed for construction.
Most people have low-quality cabinets made from toxic materials. Those modular particle board deals covered in laminate were manufactured with formaldehyde and bad-for-the-environment adhesives. Not only did they take a toll on air quality when they were made, they continue to release minute amounts of toxic fumes (called off-gassing) that you’re breathing. Or perhaps your cabinets are high-quality wooden ones. Are they crafted from sustainable forests? Probably not.
Open shelving makes the kitchen look larger and provides easy access. It’s also a fun way to show off collections and pretty dishes.
Frameless cabinetry is widely used in Europe.
When looking for green cabinets, you have a few options:
» Consider installing open shelving or frameless cabinets to cut down on the amount of materials needed for construction. That way even if you’re using particle board and laminate from Ikea, you’re at least using a lot less of it.
» Reface or replace cabinet doors rather than the entire system. You reduce the amount of waste and can save 50 percent in cost, while getting a new look. Be sure to use environmentally friendly products and materials for construction.
If you want to replace your entire cabinet system, it will cost you. You’ll have to do a custom installation with cabinets built from salvaged lumber or new wood from an FSC-certified forest. Or you’ll want to find alternative materials made from recycled goods, produced and installed free of harmful toxins or chemicals.
» Reduce your carbon footprint by finding a green cabinet-builder or -dealer within a 500-mile radius of you, or a contractor willing to follow your green rules. GreenHomeGuide is an invaluable resource that connects local green builders and vendors with consumers. If your contractor is new to green building or you are a DIYer, you can find raw building materials at Columbia Forest Products, which makes nontoxic particle board; Smith & Fong Plyboo, which sells sustainably harvested bamboo; and TerraMai, CitiLog, and Timeless Timber, which all sell salvaged wood. And before you throw out your old cabinet system, think about reusing it in the garage or laundry room for extra storage space.
Looking recently to install a (cabinetry) closet organizer, we went to a 'green' builder. We learned some interesting things:
Even if you can get particle board with low-to no-voc's, the glues on facing strips are still pretty toxic.
Check out pressed wheat and other fibers. No glues used on these 'particle board' type products, and they are very strong. Some surfaces are stunningly beautiful. The differenence in price per 4x8' sheet of 'green particle' board (which still uses laminate (think sheet Formica), and no-voc wood ply with wood veneer is only about $20.
Often the extra cost of building green is in the labor.
Hot topic! An eco kitchen renovation is exactly what I want to do. Not sure about the timing, budget or scale, so I'm saving bits of information to use when I'm ready. Thanks!
I was surprised that no mention was made of Cookware and utensiles.
I am thinking of Stainless Steel versus Teflon/Aluminum.
Or Glass versus Plastic.
For the Non-stick cookware, a quote:
"But after 50 years of use, evidence is mounting that Teflon's key ingredient, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), "sticks" in the environment indefinitely. Environmental health advocates are concerned that exposure to environmental PFOA as well as to airborne fumes released when nonstick cookware overheats may be more toxic than realized."
It seems to me that the "old" materials (Steel, Cast Iron, Clay, Enamel, Earthenware, Stone, etc) were naturally good for the environment for so many reasons, not least of which because they usually lasted a lifetime, if not longer.
Any thoughts?
An important tip is: DON'T remodel, unless you have to. Buying all new materials, "green" or not, uses up a lot of resources and is often more harmful than keeping what you have.
If you need to replace something, then green choices are great. But remodelling just for the sake of "going green" is probably not a great choice for the environment.
did i just read that glass and ceramic are high (thermal) conductivity material?
I think this is a great article for people to read who may not know much about the "green" alternatives out there. Way to go!
If everyone used a crockpot one day a week versus using their oven or stovetop we could shut down fossil fuel burning in a big way that day. Sad but true.
OK, bamboo flooring is NOT durable. Not even close. We have it right now and it is honestly the most high maintenance floor ever and I grew up with Old World parquet that needed to be waxed. We have bamboo floors right now and it dents, cracks and stains really easily. It's a good idea for lightly trafficked areas, but definitely not someplace like an average Chowhound's kitchen.