With heightened awareness of the impact of the environment on people, homeowners are turning to green solutions in everything including the kitchenette and its cabinets. It also finds application in reduced energy consumption in manufacturing processes, and environmentally friendly finishing. Cabinets are an essential part of any kitchen layout, and choosing right pieces that are also eco-friendly offers an excellent chance to change the look of your kitchen while being gentle on the environment. In this article, we discuss the emerging trend of ‘GREEN’ Cabinets, so as to know what material is good for our environment and health.
Why Green Cabinets Make Sense
At no other time has there been such a demand for more sustainable home design, and these cabinets are an essential part of that process. Standard cabinets are made using substance, and construction procedures that may lead to the cutting down of trees, pollution and high wastage. For instance most traditional cabinets are constructed from nonrenewable resources such as solid woods from depleted forests or have toxic coatings. Such practices are not only seemingly damaging to the environment but also conceal the ability to alter the quality of air in your house and therefore the well being of your family.
Eco-friendly cabinets are made with this factor of having a positive impact on the environment, and still manufacturing has the same durability and style as the traditional cabinets. It’s possible to achieve a visually appealing end-result and a healthier environment both for your household and for the environment by selecting environmentally friendly options for the materials and finishes of your kitchen.
Cabinet of Sustainable Materials
The two primary features of eco-friendly cabinets are the following: sustainability of the employed materials. These are either environmentally friendly as they find their source from renewable sources or they get recycled, or they are obtained sustainably. Here are some of the top sustainable materials to consider when choosing cabinets for your kitchen:
- Bamboo: Bamboo is among the leading environmentally friendly products that are commonly applied in making cabinets. It is not conventional timber, but rather a grass, which can actually be harvested in a few years, and is thus considered as an environmentally friendly material. It is extremely consistent and therefore virtually no shrinking or swelling due to humidity, ideal for replacing all wooden products in a kitchen along with being lightweight with its natural color and finish.
- Reclaimed Wood: Another ecologically friendly material for using in cabinets is the reclaimed wood. This is recycled material obtained from buildings, barns or dismantled furniture which may be reused to create new products. Not only does it save cutting new trees, but it brings a certain type of uniqueness to the kitchen by incorporating reclaimed wood. Reclaimed timber is by nature different and has its own history, distinctive features, checking and all sorts of typical second-hand timber defects.
- FSC-Certified Wood: If you like ordinary wooden furniture but want to choose an environmentally friendly option, use furniture made of wood that the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has certified. The currently used certification is FSC which guarantees the wood to have originated from well managed forests that are environmentally, socially and economically right. Selecting woods with FSC certification means that you are using the right products and have excellent cabinets for your home.
- Recycled Materials: In addition, there are manufacturers who supply cabinets from recycled materials, and may include metal or glass or plastic. These cabinets are also green and give your kitchen a modern industrial look that many will find appropriate for their modern kitchen. Recycling helps to limit the amount of landfill waste, and you’ll be contributing to preserving the Earth’s resources.
Finishings recognized as having low volatile organic compound emissions
Besides, guidance to choose the units with low-VOC paints, stains, and adhesives as well as made from reclaimed or renewable woods. VOCs are toxic compounds which can be emitted from some of the finishes in a house and lead to indoor air pollution and detrimentally affect the health of the occupants in your families. Long time contact with VOCs causes respiratory diseases, headaches, and sometimes more severe health complications.
The low-VOC finishes are developed to release fewer dangerous chemicals into your home’s air, thus making their use safer. Today, most cabinet manufacturers that promote their use of green materials provide finishes that contain little to no VOCs or at least have a low concentration. These finishes offer the same level of service and look as conventionally used finishes but with no damaging effects.
Selecting the right cabinets should inspire questions regarding the finish and materials used to bond them. Choosing low VOs, or even zero VOC products, will help to enhance the quality of the indoor air thus keeping your home safe for everyone.
Energy Efficient Manufacturing Practices
Manufacturing is a big part of a cabinetry’s sustainability since not only the materials used and the finishes contribute to its impact on the environment. More renewable and organic cabinet makers today embrace energy-saving measures within their production lines to minimize wastes of water and energy. Many of these companies depend on renewable power such as solar or wind to conduct business which minimizes their impact on the environment.
Besides energy efficient production, some of the cabinet makers pay special attention to minimizing wastage of the materials by using every bit of it that is used in the production. For instance, the residues such as scraps of wood and sawdust can be utilized to make other products and at the same be used to generate energy. Such practices benefit the company to reduce the number of wastes that are dumped to the landfills and at the same time, assist in enhancing the sustainability of the manufacturing processes.
When choosing green cabinets, it is important to get them from companies who respect the natural environment. Some producers explain the business processes that are used in creating their products hence making consumers be in a better position to make the right decision of purchasing the right product.
Advantages of Green Cabinets
There are several advantages to selecting environmentally friendly cabinets that belong to both the house and the environment. First and foremost, you’ll be saving the environment by choosing to use renewable or recycled materials or by supporting responsible forestry practices. It also assists in preserving biodiversity, minimizing the exploitation of natural resources and fighting deforestation.
Eco-friendly cabinets are also important in that they will also help in enhancing the quality of air within homes. Finally, low-VOC paints and coatings give off fewer pollutants into the air and will help make your living environment more pleasant for yourself and your family. This is especially needed in the kitchens where cooking and preparation of foods are done and good aeration should always be encouraged.
The fourth benefit of using eco-friendly cabinets is that they are long-lasting as compared to their rivals in the market. Most sustainable materials however as we have seen are very strong, and whether it is bamboo or reclaimed wood, they are very durable. Through this, very few cabinet replacements are made hence acting as a way of curbing wastage of resources while at the same time having made a long-term investment on high quality, eco-friendly cabinets.
Finally, environment-friendly cabinets are valuable to the house. As the awareness of the homeowner rises to embrace the vice of environmentalism, some features such as green cabinetry will be seen as a plus to the home buyers. Whether you are thinking of selling your home sometime in the future or you just want to live in an environmentally friendly home, then getting sustainable cabinets is definitely a wise thing to do.
Conclusion
Eco-friendly cabinets are an excellent choice for homeowners looking to create a sustainable, healthy, and stylish kitchen. By opting for renewable materials like bamboo, reclaimed wood, or FSC-certified wood, and choosing low-VOC finishes and energy-efficient manufacturing, you can significantly reduce your environmental impact. Not only do eco-friendly cabinets contribute to a greener planet, but they also offer durability, improved indoor air quality, and long-term value. As the demand for sustainable home design continues to grow, incorporating eco-friendly cabinets into your kitchen remodel is a step toward a more responsible, eco-conscious lifestyle.
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