6 sustainable ideas for your kitchen
Making homes more eco friendly and sustainable has never been more important. Be inspired by our six top tips to make changes in your kitchen.
Image: Laura Ashley
Making more mindful choices on how we want to decorate in 2020, is top of most people’s interior design list. We’ve teamed up with kitchen designers Sally Hinks and Matt Baker from Harvey Jones to bring you these top tips on how you can be more sustainable in the kitchen.
Prioritise recycling
Including integrated recycling bins into cabinetry design will make recycling simpler and easier. Creating a place for everything helps to keep waste organised and your kitchen clutter free. This will also encourage the whole family to naturally recycle waste in the right compartments.
Invest in quality cabinetry
Image: Harvey Jones
When choosing a kitchen, invest in the best your budget allows. Some door designs are vinyl wrapped and cannot be recycled, which encourages wasteful and costly redesigns in the future.
Opting for a hand-painted kitchen means that cabinets can be updated in the future with a fresh lick of paint, giving your scheme a brand-new look.
Consider your appliances
Always look at the energy efficiency, water consumption and eco funcitons of a dishwasher and washing machine before making a decision. Choose an appliance which automatically dispenses the correct amount of detergent and volume of water for the contents.
Recycle your old kitchen
Image: Harvey Jones
If you are planning a renovation or extension, why not consider repurposing cabinets in another room such as a utility or garage, or why not sell it online?
Look out for FSC certification
Source items such as wooden worktops, chopping boards and bar stools from companies with an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification – meaning the wood has been ethically sourced from forests specifically grown for harvesting. Essentially it means the wood can be tracked back to the source and will either be 100% from certified forests or recycled.
Make easy eco swaps
Image: Meir Australia Pty Ltd
Switch your usual cleaning products to eco-friendly options, and buy larger sizes of everyday products to reduce packaging and trips to the supermarket, also recycle food waste by using a compost bin.
What changes will you be implementing to make your kitchen more sustainable? Tweet us @goodhomesmag or post a comment on our Facebook page!