This week is Recycle Week, a national campaign that seeks to galvanise the public into recycling more of the right things, more often. The kitchen can be an area of the home that produces a lot of waste and there are many things you can do to reduce this, from general packaging recycling to composting food waste to passing on electrical items that you no longer use, rather than throwing them away. But what about the kitchen itself, is there a way to make buying a new one a more sustainable choice?
Kitchens are big, bulky items so disposing of an old one can seem difficult to do in a sustainable way. There are a few things you can do to mitigate the waste, such as donating or selling the parts that are still serviceable or consider asking local colleges whether they would like the parts that they can use for their construction trades courses (they can often use wood, fittings, or plumbing parts for students to practice with). Inevitably though, some materials will need to be scrapped. In fact, this can be a factor that deters some from changing their kitchen.
Don’t despair though as there are ways that you can change your kitchen and still retain a social conscience. One very significant way is to choose a kitchen that is constructed from recycled materials. That doesn’t mean you have to choose an MDF kitchen! There are kitchens on the market that are manufactured using recycled materials, but it is vital that they still be of high quality that will last. It is self-defeating to choose a recycled kitchen if it only lasts a few years because the quality isn’t there.
Daval’s Renzo kitchen is one such example that uses recycled materials (all its doors are made from 100% recycled wood) but it’s also robust, hard wearing, and of high enough quality that it will last a really long time, making it truly sustainable. With it ticking the environmental boxes, you may be forgiven for thinking the compromise might be on aesthetic appeal, but we can reassure you on that score as well. This kitchen is really beautiful with a contemporary, urban vibe that offers a choice of finishes from a classic natural oak to a charred Japanese wood and even a raw, textured concrete effect that can present an industrial feel (combine a couple of finishes to create something very unique).
There are a few other factors that can make a new kitchen a more responsible choice than you might initially think. Firstly, consider where it’s manufactured. Many cheap kitchens are fabricated overseas and shipped over, adding considerably to their carbon footprints. Choosing a kitchen that is made here in the UK, and even here in Yorkshire, is a better environmental option.
There are long term considerations too; by buying quality, you won’t have to change your kitchen again for many years so while a cheap, low quality kitchen may be replaced 2 or even 3 times, a really good one will still be going strong.
“But what if I want a change of style eventually?” you may ask. It’s a fair point as your kitchen may outlast your evolving tastes but this doesn’t necessarily have to be an issue, even from a sustainable viewpoint as you could simply change the doors. The carcases will still be good for many more years so you’d only need to replace a small element of the kitchen to create a very different look. Original doors can be donated or sold so they still continue their serviceable lifespan elsewhere.
If you have been hankering after a new kitchen but felt uncomfortable about the environmental impact of that choice, then we hope we have shown you that the two things are not mutually exclusive. If you would like to see how the Renzo, or indeed other quality kitchens manufactured here in West Yorkshire, could look in your home, book a design consultation and we’d be happy to guide you through the options.
Book your free design consultation here.
