A little over a year after the official launch of the Canada Greener Homes Grant, over 171,000 applications were received by the Government of Canada through the national portal. Canadians are intent on leading greener, environmentally friendlier lives through everything from their home design to their daily habits. If you’re keen on building and maintaining a sustainable kitchen, or you’re looking at renovating your existing kitchen, read on.
Choosing Ethical Suppliers
When looking for kitchens, you may come across a host of low-priced imports, without any information on how they were made or where they come from.
To build a green kitchen, start by dealing with suppliers who can inform you about where materials are sourced, how long they will last for your chosen purpose and where they can be disposed of once you no longer want them.
A green kitchen should last a lifetime, and the sustainability of its materials and manufacturing processes should be easy to verify. A sustainable kitchen should also boast a classic design that won’t go out of style in a couple of seasons.
Green Countertops
Sustainable materials for kitchens are booming in popularity, with just a few popular choices including Silestone’s Sunlit Days Collection, Dekton’s large-format slab surfaces and Teragren bamboo countertops. If you’re a cash-conscious consumer, you can read more about economical sustainable materials for the home by visiting Tips for Building Green Homes on a Budget.
Get the Green Building Project Checklist
Use this handy checklist on your next project to keep track of all the ways you can make your home more energy-efficient and sustainable.
Teragren, for instance, makes its countertops out of Moso—one of the hardest and densest species of bamboo. This material sequesters carbon, thereby leaving a carbon-negative footprint during their manufacture.
Silestone’s Sunlit Days Collection, meanwhile, is manufactured with 99% re-used water, 100% renewable energy and a significant percentage of recycled materials.
Eco-Friendly Flooring
There are many green flooring options to choose from for kitchens.
Cork, which is made in Portugal and Spain by stripping the fine bark of cork trees in long, wide slabs, does not damage trees. Though not as durable or water-resistant as tile, it’s durable enough to last you a long time.
Low-carbon concrete is a smart, sturdy, and ultra-durable choice. Natural linoleum, made of linseed oil, is also green, as are reclaimed wood floors and FSC-certified and formaldehyde-free engineered wood floors.
One material that is very popular among design lovers is floor tiling made of bio-based resins. This material looks sleek and stylish yet is resistant to scratches, staining and heels.
Also trending are floors made of mycelium—the network of threads from which mushrooms grow. When dried, it can be used as a building or construction material that is resistant to water, fire, and mould. Mycelium can be grown into specific forms, thus reducing the need for processing.
The Value of Energy Star Certified Equipment
Environmentally-friendly kitchen design additionally involves choosing green equipment. Currently, there are over 80 product types that qualify for official ENERGY STAR certification in Canada. Appliances included in this list include dishwashers, refrigerators, clothes washers, and clothes dryers.
Green clothes washers, for instance, use 25% less energy and 33% less water than standard models. They also have high spin speeds and more efficient motors. This means that you can machine wash everything from sneakers right through to gentle clothes with less moisture. Because clothes retain less moisture, less energy is also used by your dryer.
Homeowners can reduce their carbon footprint further by always washing full loads and by using shorter cycles for items that are slightly dirty.
ENERGY STAR-certified fridges, meanwhile, use an average of 9% less energy than standard models. These fridges boast top quality features such as high-efficiency compressors, which create less heat. They also have optimal insulation, which helps food stay fresh and aids the fridge itself in operating more efficiently.
Energy Efficient Lighting for Kitchens
Modern kitchens boast features such as LED under-cabinet fixtures, which use only a fraction of the energy used by fluorescents. LED lighting is long-lasting, meaning that those who opt for it spend less on replacements over the years.
LEDs can also be placed within storage furniture to make it easier to find pots, pans and other equipment. If you’re into fancy pendant lights, opt for those containing LED tubes. To read more about modern technological features that can enhance the sustainability of your home, check out New Technologies That Will Help Reduce Your Power Bills.
Natural light is the ultimate option when it comes to energy efficiency. During a kitchen renovation, eliminating existing walls and replacing them with floor-to-ceiling windows or sliding doors is an excellent option.
The ultimate way to rely on the sun’s energy, of course, is through the installation of solar panels. These pay for themselves in a few years, helping to fill your home with light regardless of the season.
Incorporating Elements of Biophilic Design
Having a green kitchen can also mean embracing concepts from the biophilic design school. This school seeks to bridge the divide between nature and design, bringing outdoor elements into the home.
Biophilic design embraces concepts such as the use of natural and sustainable materials, the incorporation of plants at all levels (on the floor, on shelves and hanging from beams or the ceiling), as well as the use of nature-inspired decorative elements.
Today, there are many kitchen-friendly wallpaper designs featuring floral and leafy elements. These make a great addition to a statement wall. So, too, do kitchen appliances and decorative sculptures that are modelled on outdoor flora and fauna.
The color green in itself is part of this trend and you can include it in your kitchen by opting for verdant countertops, walls and appliances.
If you’re interested in learning more about biophilic design you can read more in our article on the Basics of Biophilic Design.
Sustainable Cabinets
The unfortunate reality is that most cabinets off-gas harmful VOCs. Though much of the off-gassing occurs within the first month, in some cases, cabinets could off-gas for years. For some people these toxins are quite harmful.
Luckily, there are more healthy and more sustainable alternatives these days that do not emit harmful toxins and are also environmentally sustainable. Here are some options you can choose from:
- formaldehyde-free cabinets (eg wheatboard)
- cabinets painted with Zero-VOC paint
- cabinets made of reclaimed wood
- cabinets made of recycled materials (eg glass or steel)
- Bamboo cabinets
Plumbing Fixtures
An easy way to conserve water is to install aerators on your tap. Moreover, you should consider using recirculation pumps that maintain warm water so you won’t have to keep it running while waiting for the water to get warm.
Another thing that can help you save water is a tankless heaters. These heaters heat up water on demand so they use a lot less energy than traditional water heaters.
Feature image: Sven Brandsma; Image 1: Sidekix Media
