Of course, each material you use to design or remodel your kitchen carries environmental consequences. But today’s conscious homeowners who appreciate “green” construction are interested in reducing the amount of degree that their cabinets, flooring, or countertops have on the ecosystem. Let’s focus today on materials for your countertops that have a relatively low carbon footprint.
According to Sunset Magazine, recycled glass makes a great choice for replacement countertops since the material is comprised of used glass and, often, with fly ash, a material that heads for the landfill as waste from coal-burning processes. Colors are bright and can be fit to your décor, but beware of the cost! Recycled glass countertops are among the more expensive options.
Using Wood for Your Countertops
Untreated hardwoods left behind by forest harvesting can make for a solid, environmental choice. Untreated wood certainly requires less industrial processing and creates fewer by-product materials than many other countertop materials. Durable, wood should be treated with natural oils (mineral oil, for example) to help build resistance to moisture and warping.
You can find suppliers or materials through a search at The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) website. The FSC sets standards and guides forest management practices in more than 57 countries.
Wheat board is rapidly becoming the wood of choice in many “green” kitchens. The material comes from wheat straw that is held together with formaldehyde-free binding agents. It can be a great material for building environmentally friendly kitchen cabinet boxes. In combining untreated hardwood countertops with wheat board cabinets, you can have a sustainable kitchen that looks warm, sturdy, and fantastic.
I wrote last year about choosing materials with low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) that can help prevent toxicity in your kitchen.
[...] was nothing eco-friendly about their vinyl ester binders. In addition to getting high marks among sustainable kitchen counters, Vetrazzo is said to be comparable in durability and scratch resistance to granite and stone. And [...]