Kitchens that Care

When cooking up a design for an eco-friendly kitchen, there are many components to consider. Remodeling your kitchen to be "green" means more a fresh coat of low-VOC paint and a new set of EnergyStar appliances. (Although these are still important steps!) You need to look at the entire room's materials, starting from the floor up.

Flooring and cabinetry make up a large part of your green scheme. Choosing eco-friendly products for these components is the first step. Contrary to current popular debate, bamboo can indeed be a smart, eco-friendly choice for flooring and cabinetry. But like most green products on the market today, you have to do your homework and research the bamboo manufacturers. 

Smith & Fong Plyboo® bamboo products are 100% bamboo with no fillers.  These products are available in flooring, plywood, veneers and paneling. Plyboo® is made from the Moso species of bamboo, which grows to maturity in five to six years with a height of over 40 feet and a diameter of over six inches. Smith & Fong has a direct relationship with their farmers, insists on harvesting the grass only after it has reached maturity and uses low- to no-VOC adhesives.  Also, many of their products are available with no added urea formaldehyde.   

Countertops are another cornerstone of solid green kitchen design. Since countertops inspire the "wow" factor in a kitchen, many homeowners have struggled in the past to find eco-friendly counters that are also aesthetically pleasing. However, there are now many products to choose from that combine the best in hard surfaces with high-quality, eco-friendly materials. One such product is BIOGLASS, a fully recyclable, 100% recycled glass by CoveringsEtc, available in four colors. White and light green slabs contain 100% pre-consumer recycled glass and are translucent with backlighting. The brown slabs contain 100% post-consumer recycled glass. This product is completely inert and does not produce any off-gassing. Slabs in the natural finish are 110" x 49" x ¾" and may be used as counter- and work-tops, accents, walls and flooring. Fabrication can be completed in the same fashion as marble, and this product needs no sealing and is stain, heat and scratch resistant.

When it comes to appliances and fixtures, talk with your local dealer to find products and manufacturers that are eco-minded. Ask a lot of questions and do your research before making a purchase. Inquire about the conditions in which the products are made and the reputation of the company producing them. Also, get the facts on the sustainability and life-cycle of the materials these products are made of. By making informed purchases, you can work toward building a kitchen that is a happy and healthy choice for both your family and the environment.