Environmentally Friendly Kitchen Design
Creating an eco-friendly house is becoming more of a priority for people these days. Between caring for the environment, and realising the long term financial benefits of doing so, the desire to be environmentally conscious has grown considerably in recent times. If you are lucky enough to be building a brand new house from scratch, then you can plan to be eco-friendly in every aspect of the build. If however you are just renovating, upgrading or simply redesigning the interior of your kitchen, you can simply consider any small aspect of the process that can result in a more ecological beneficial choice.
What are the benefits of being eco-friendly?
This is a wide ranging term, but can cover everything from the materiel you use (particularly wood types), to how much energy your appliances use, your water and plumbing setup and your kitchen waste management. It does not necessarily have to cost more to build or renovate an environmentally friendly kitchen either. The biggest benefit is in long term savings, in particularly with water and electricity savings, and the benefits of utilizing waste as best as possible.
Appliances
Kitchen appliances can use a lot of energy and water. Taking note of the Energy Star rating of any appliances you buy is a vital first step. The best ones can often use up to half the amount of water and electricity that standard models use, resulting in lower bills and less environmental footprint.
Windows and Doors
Doors and windows that are not properly sealed (particularly in older homes) can result in loss of heating from your home during winter, meaning you’ll use the heater more often. This is a simple kitchen renovation action that involves having your windows sealed adequately, as well as any doors or any other external access areas.
Wooden cabinets
If you are about to replace your kitchen cabinets, carefully consider the type of wood being used. Plantation woods are now easy to find, and should always be selected over imported hard woods that, more often than not, have come from the logging of old growth forests in tropical countries. You can avoid contributing to deforestation by sourcing your wooden products from local plantations wherever possible.
These are just some of the simple ways of making your kitchen more eco-friendly with the help of kitchen professionals. No matter how small of an action you take to do right by the environment, you can feel good in knowing you are doing the right thing for the planet, and saving yourself money in the long run.
