Green your kitchen: cabinets and worktops

In the second part of our guide to greening your kitchen, we're looking at cabinets and worktops. We've already given our tips on re-furbing your floors in an eco-conscious way, and many of those recommendations apply here.

First things first, take another look at the questions you asked when you started out on your floors, since they're equally relevant for cabinets and worktops:
• Is it non-toxic?
• Does it contain recycled content, or can it be recycled after use?
• Is it biodegradable?
• Is it sustainably harvested?
• Is it made from renewable materials?
• Does it reduce energy or water consumption?
• Does it meet or beat strict European indoor air quality standards?
• Is it durable so it will not need to be replaced?
• Does it come from a green business?
• Is it the best in its class?

Again, products and materials you choose should answer 'yes' to a majority of these questions.

Cabinets

Most people have low-quality cabinets made from toxic materials -- those modular particle board deals covered in laminate are manufactured with formaldehyde and bad-for-the-environment adhesives. Not only do they take a toll on air quality when they're made, they continue to release minute amounts of toxic fumes (called off-gassing) that you're breathing.

Perhaps your cabinets are high-quality wooden ones. But are they crafted from sustainable forests? Probably not. Luckily, you have a few options when looking for green cabinets. Consider installing open shelving or frameless cabinets, for example, to cut down on the amount of materials needed for construction. That way even if you're using particle board and laminate from Ikea, at least you're using a lot less of it.

Another option is to reface or replace cabinet doors rather than the entire system. You reduce the amount of waste and can save 50 per cent 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 can find alternative materials made from recycled goods, produced and installed free of harmful toxins or chemicals.

Most importantly, reduce your carbon footprint by finding a green cabinet-builder or -dealer close to you, or a contractor willing to follow your green rules.

Valcucine cabinets

The Riciclantica line from ultramodernist Italian design firm Valcucine features doors that are completely seamless, with no handles or hardware -- the cabinets have a self-closing mechanism. Made from eco-conscious materials like recycled aluminium, with non-toxic finishes, the entire system can be recycled after use. The company supports and helps fund BioForest Technologies, a research firm that specialises in forest surveys and protection. Valcucine's site lists distributors all over the world, including in the UK.

Neff cabinets

Ontario-based company Neff uses marine-grade plywood, a waterproof product that isn't treated with chemicals, rather than formaldehyde-laden particle board. The cabinets have very low-to-zero Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions and run the design gamut from traditional to modern.

Henrybuilt cabinets

With offices in Seattle and New York, Henrybuilt offers clients the option of choosing a cabinet system from the company's modular lines (one of the few green cabinetry companies to have these). Its products are crafted from rapidly renewable bamboo or FSC-certified woods, and are formaldehyde free. The best part for us is that Henrybuilt is happy to work remotely, sending plans and designs over email and finally shipping materials for overseas clients.

Worktops

Green worktops are where it gets fun. You can find new products made of discarded soda bottles or wood pulp fused together so densely you'd swear it's stone, just for starters. These items are all made from recycled and/or renewable goods, with a manufacturing process that has little impact on the environment. See below for few examples of innovative green materials.

Squak Mountain Stone worktop

Concrete is expensive and not terribly eco-friendly, given the amount of heat and energy needed to produce it. Some concrete manufacturers mix traditional cement with recycled content like paper and glass, making the final product look sort of like soapstone. (Squak Mountain Stone)

Vetrazzo worktop

This terrazzo worktop is made from recycled glass and concrete, much of it scavenged from city-dwellers' recycling bins, old blue Skyy Vodka bottles, and traffic lights, to name a few sources. It's durable (about as strong as granite), scratch-resistant, and able to withstand heat up to 398 degrees Celcius. (Vetrazzo). A good UK alternative is Resilica by Sussex-based Eight Inch, which is a similar-looking countertop made from 85 per cent recycled glass from bottle banks.

Fortis Arbos Wood Mosaics backsplash

These tiny wood tiles are made from discarded pieces of FSC-certified hardwoods and bamboo left over from furniture manufacturing. They can be used to create mosaics for backsplashes or counters. Be sure to use a non-toxic, stain-resistant, waterproof grout. (Fortis Arbor Wood Mosaics)

Oceanside Glasstiles backsplash wall

Little glass tiles are a popular backsplash material -- to go green, look for ones that are made from at least 50 per cent recycled material. These tiles are made from silica sand, an abundant natural resource. Many of the lines also have at least 50 per cent recycled content, with many topping out at 86 per cent. (Oceanside Glasstiles)

Click here to read part one of our Green Your Kitchen guide

Related Links

• SmartPlanet