Having an eco-friendly, green kitchen in your home often has the reputation of being expensive and difficult to build. But these days, earth friendly products are much more widely available, stylish and affordable than ever before, and a green kitchen can be made
Having an eco-friendly, green kitchen in your home often has the reputation of being expensive and difficult to build. But these days, earth friendly products are much more widely available, stylish and affordable than ever before, and a green kitchen can be made with no extra expense or difficulty.
So, what parts of your kitchen can be green and eco-friendly? Here are some of the basic things to consider when you want to go green.
- Gas or electric – natural gas is a fossil fuel, but most electricity comes from coal burning power plants. Gas gives you instant heat, but new electric stovetops use induction elements to transfer energy almost instantly too. Do some research, look at the energy ratings and find a preference that will suit you and your family.
- Appliances – energy efficient upgrades to appliances occur in every new model these days. A modern dishwasher for example, uses less water than washing by hand. When you’re choosing appliances, looks for the energy star rating, and choose wisely. Perhaps you don’t need a fridge as big as you think you do? And a simple, sturdy oven will probably be much easier to use than a fancy model with setting you’ll never need or use. Think about the water and energy consumption of your appliances before you buy.
- Recycled materials – many kitchen countertops can be made out of recycled paper, flooring can be made from cork, and cabinets can be made from bamboo. Do some research and find out what’s available and the environmental impact those products have.
- Lighting – LED’s are now made in a way that produces a much more pleasant light output – not the harsh, blinding light that they used to emit. They are much more energy efficient than a regular light globe, hardly ever need changing, and if you have solar paneling you’re certainly doing your bit to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Tiles – tiles for flooring or splashbacks can be made from products like clay, and other combinations of recycled materials. These are usually handmade and sustainably produced, and look fabulous in a modern kitchen.
- Cabinets – so many companies now specialise in sustainably harvested and recycled content for cabinets, and they are simply beautiful. Consider a recycled wood composite material for cabinet doors and drawers.
Creating a green kitchen is easier than you think and no more expensive than a ‘regular’ kitchen, so next time you’re renovating or building a new kitchen, consider some of these options. Or enter our competition to recieve a $10K cashback on the purchase of your new kitchen!