Recycled Paper Countertops – Recycled Countertops That Will Hold Up To Anything

Want a green material for your kitchen countertops that is tough enough to stand up to skateboards, boats and even airplanes?  Then you’ll want to check out recycled paper countertops!

I know, paper doesn’t sound like a very practical material for a countertop, after all it is quite fragile and disintegrates when it gets wet, but these counter tops are made from pulp that comes from trees harvested by managed forests along with some recycled paper.  Of course, it doesn’t resemble paper at all once it is processed and the result is a beautiful and durable green countertop.

Made by  Richlite, these recycled paper countertops come in solid sheets and is actually the same material used for decades by the aerospace industry as well as in the marine industry and to make skateboard ramps.  These countertops look good with almost any design and come in a variety of colors.

These recycled countertops also have many advantages such as being heat resistant, scratch resistant and stain resistant.  This type of countertop is a solid color thoughout the entire thickness so any scratches that do occur will not be very noticeable.  With a heat resistance of up to 350 degrees you won’t have to worry about burns on your new counter.

But perhaps, the best thing about these recycled paper countertops is that they are very sanitary and, in fact, the material has been certified by the National Sanitation Foundation for use in cutting boards.  It has an impervious surface and resists the growth of bacteria.

Bamboo Cabinets – A Modern And Eco Friendly Choice

If you want cabinets that are as stylish and sexy as they are good for the environment, then you’ll want to explore the choices in bamboo cabinets for your kitchen design.

Why Bamboo

Bamboo is actually a grass which gives it many advantages over the traditional wood used for kitchen cabinets.  It is fast growing – where it takes a tree decades to grow big enough to produce the wood for a set of cabinets, it takes bamboo only 5 to 7 years.  This makes it very sustainable and renewable, provided the harvesting is done properly.

Not only that, but bamboo kitchen cabinets are very durable and stable making it perfect for the daily wear and tear that can happen in the kitchen.

The Style

The look of bamboo cabinets fits right in with today’s sleek contemporary styles.   The wood itself has a light and tight graining which is perfect for a lighter stain.  When you are thinking of it for cabinets, however, you need to forget about traditional colors and stains because bamboo does not hold a stain like traditional wood does.  Having said that, you can get different hues and tones and this is done in the factory through a carbonization process that actually embeds the colors all the way through the wood.  This is an advantage, especially when it comes to cabinets, because scratches and nicks will be a lot less noticeable as the wood is the same color all the way through.

Bamboo graining and color can vary quite a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer so it’s a good idea to check out a few suppliers before making a choice and then stick with the one that has that particular color that is perfect for your kitchen.

What To Look For

You want your cabinets to be non toxic as well as use sustainable wood, so you need to choose a manufacturer that doesn’t use any toxic materials in the construction.  The good news about bamboo kitchen cabinets is that they are solid wood unlike many of the cabinets today which are veneer and use toxic glues to adhere the finish.  To be even friendlier to the environment, try to go with a manufacturer that does not use any environmentally unfriendly practices in the manufacture of the product.

The other thing to be on the lookout for is where the actual bamboo comes from.  While we are hearing a lot lately about how bamboo is sustainable, sadly, not all bamboo is harvested equally.  You want to be sure you buy from a manufacturer that gets it’s bamboo from somewhere that adheres to proper practices when it comes to bamboo growing.  Choose one that uses great quality control and is monitored by some overseeing agency such the Chinese Department of Forestry and you can be assured that you are indeed using bamboo that is grown in self regenerating forests.

So when you are planning your sleek, contemporary and green kitchen – don’t forget to put bamboo cabinets on your “to-do” list!

Marmoleum Flooring – Good, Clean And Green

When it comes to green flooring, it doesn’t get much better than Marmoleum – a flooring that is made from flax, sawdust, linseed oil and jute and with today’s retro styles, Marmoleum flooring is about as chic as it gets.

This eco-friendly and sustainable flooring offers you a unique style without any of the harmful chemicals that are  in other types of floors.  You may not realize it, but your current linoleum flooring emits gases that are toxic to you – and not only that but what do you think happens to it when you get a new floor?  You guessed it,  it sits in the landfill where it poisons the earth for many, many years!

Marmoleum flooring, on the other hand, is 100% biodegradable so there’s no worries about it sitting in a landfill and spoiling the planet but you probably wouldn’t have to worry about that too much anyway because the darn stuff is so durable that it lasts about 40 years!

Both comfortable and warm, Marmoleum is also a dust free flooring and it can be installed with solvent free adhesive  so you don’t have to worry about toxic VOC’s being emitted from the glue.

Other benefits include the fact that it has antibacterial properties so that it doesn’t harbor bacteria and it’s also antistatic.   It comes in tiles or sheets and is similar to linoleum coming in a myriad of colors and patterns.  Most often seen in kitchens and schools, Marmoleum flooring has an industrial look at is actually very popular in contemporary homes today.

So why not get a trendy and green kitchen with Marmoleum?  oh, and the best part is that it costs only about seven bucks a square foot!

What Are The Most Energy Efficient Refrigerators?

Anyone who is thinking about greening up their kitchen should start by looking at energy efficient refrigerators.  In fact, the refrigerator is the single biggest energy consumer of all your appliances and replacing your old, rickety fridge with a new more energy-efficient model will not only help save the environment but it will save you money on your utility bills as well.

The most efficient refrigerators are qualified by Energy Star.  So when you’re shopping for a fridge, you want to look for the Energy Star designation.  These refrigerators use 20% less energy then is required by federal standards.  Today’s refrigerators actually use about 40% less energy than the ones made only seven years ago.

So, what are the most energy-efficient refrigerators?

While basically, you can buy any model that is Energy Star compliant.  Models that have the freezer on the top or on the bottom will be more energy efficient than the side by sides.  Also automatic ice makers increase energy use so you might want to look for model that doesn’t have one of these.

Some top freezer models that are energy efficient include the Frigidaire FRT21HC5D, the whirlpool ET9FHTXM and  the Maytag MTB1953  for under $800.  The top end refrigerators include KitchenAid KTLA22EM and the  Sun Frost R-16  which will set you back a cool $2,807.00

if you’re looking for a refrigerator with a bottom freezer, then you might consider the Kenmore 6523 or the Maytag MBF2254HE.  If you have money to burn and check out the Liebherr CS1350.

If you simply must have a side-by-side in the least expensive energy-efficient model is the whirlpool ED2FHEXN.  Other models might consider include the GE GSH22VGR and Kenmore 4455.

Here are some tips on making your refrigerator even more energy-efficient:

Keep the fridge thermostat set between 35 and 38°F in the freezer temp set at 0°

Don’t stand in front of the refrigerator and leave the door open while you are deciding what to eat,  have a plan before you get to the fridge, grab the food and shut the door.

Make sure your fridge isn’t next to the oven or indirect sunlight or next to your heater.  You don’t want it to have to battle extra heating.

Make sure that air can circulate around the condenser coils so that they can work properly.  In order to do this you want to leave a space between the refrigerator and your cabinets and walls.

Are You Ready For A Solar Powered Refrigerator?

You’ve heard of solar powered calculators, solar garden fountains and even solar patio lights, but a solar powered refrigerator?

Yes, it’s true – there is, in fact, a solar refrigerator or that is powered by a solar-diesel hybrid generator which was developed by the Cambridge Mass company  Promethean Power Systems.  The fridge uses 180 watt solar panels combined with a diesel engine for a green-hybrid type of appliance.  Although the diesel engine makes this fridge only partially powered by renewable energy, future updates may replace the diesel with biodiesel making this a truly green fridge.

This solar refrigerator is actually intended to be used in rural areas – place where there just isn’t the electrical infrastructure to power a regular fridge.  But, what the heck, if you wanted one for your house, you would save about 60% on what it costs you to power your fridge now and you’d be lowering your carbon footprint – after all every little bit counts!

This particular solar powered refrigerator uses thermo electric cooling instead of Freon.  It’s actually made to be used by food distributors and for central food storage in rural India – not for your kitchen.  However, technology that turns your kitchen fridge into a solar powered appliance can’t be that far behind!

Options For Formaldehyde Free Kitchen Cabinets

Did you know that your kitchen cabinets are one of the biggest causes of pollutants in your home?  That’s because most cabinets are manufactured with particle board which uses urea formaldehyde in the manufacture.  This known carcinogen is an installed your home and, while your cabinets seem harmless, they are actually wafting out a toxic cancer-causing agent.

To make matters worse, exposure to heat can make the urea formaldehyde even more dangerous.  Of course, in the kitchen your cabinets are probably exposed to heat a lot – especially the ones above your stove.

Luckily, there are green kitchen cabinet alternatives that won’t pollute your kitchen with carcinogens.  Not only are these formaldehyde free kitchen cabinets a healthy and eco-friendly choice, they are beautiful and will add style and ambience to any kitchen.

There is a formaldehyde free kitchen cabinet for almost any style of kitchen.  If you have a country or traditional style what you want to do is order solid wood cabinets.  You don’t want ones that are a veneer because these are the ones that have the particle board as the backing.  If you want to be even more eco-friendly, make sure that you order your solid wood cabinets from a source that uses sustainably harvested wood.

If your kitchen has a modern look, then why not consider metal cabinets?  Stainless steel cabinets are quite trendy and look great in a contemporary kitchen.  Their are also metal cabinets with enamel colored faces to go with any decorating theme you can think up.

You can also look for cabinets that use something called PrimeBoard.  This is a material that’s made from wheat straw and doesn’t have a toxic urea formaldehyde in it.  Furthermore, it has no omissions so it’s not bad for your health.

Natural Cork Flooring In Your Kitchen

Using natural cork flooring in your kitchen is an interesting choice if you want to go with a sustainable flooring material.  Cork floor tiles are very interesting and have an elegant look much different from other types of wood flooring because they have a burled appearance.  This can give your kitchen a unique look that you just don’t find in every home!

While you may not have heard too much about cork flooring it’s actually not that new.  In fact there are buildings right here in the US which are over a hundred years old and still have the original cork floor’s.  So, you can see, cork will hold up pretty good in your kitchen is a flooring material.

One great thing about natural cork flooring is that not only is it durable it’s also a bit cushiony.  When compared to traditional hardwood floors or sustainable bamboo flooring, cork will be a little bit easier on the feet because of its resilient nature.

Cork floor tiles typically come in 12 x 12 or 12 x 24 inch sizes.  You can actually get planks that are  1′ x 3′  if you want to have a floating cork floor.  The planks float on your subfloor and give it more of a hardwood floor appearance where as the tiles will give it more of a parquet flooring appear.

Now, when it comes to flooring for your kitchen, cork is probably one of the better choices because the kitchen is a very busy room.  Therefore, there’s a lot of traffic and a lot of noise.  As mentioned before, cork flooring will provide a bit of a cushion for your feet, it also will absorb the noise better and have less of that “echo” sound that bamboo or hardwood would have.

Natural cork flooring is also an interesting choice because of the way it is made.  Sustainable cork is grown in forests which use sustainable methods.  The cork is actually bark that is harvested from mature trees.  Once the bark is removed, more bark actually grows back!  So whether you choose a floating cork floor or cork floor tiles, you can rest assured that no trees were harmed during the manufacture of your kitchen floor!

Green Interior Design For The Kitchen

In addition to eco-friendly appliances, sustainable flooring and nonpolluting cabinets there are some other green interior design things that you should consider for your kitchen.  While it’s great to be sure that you are putting in eco-friendly materials for your major elements, what about some of the other things that you add to the room to embellish your decor?

One thing you might consider for your table is bamboo.  Now, I mean actual bamboo not the fake stuff that looks like bamboo – you want to choose furniture that is made from bamboo which is grown on eco-friendly plantation’s.  Bamboo grows pretty quickly so harvesting it to make furniture has a minimal impact on the environment because new bamboo can be planted to quickly replace what has been cut down.  Not only that, but it is durable, water resistant and anti-microbial.

If you’re using fabric for seating as well as your window treatments you want to consider organic cotton.  These days you can get it in plenty of gorgeous colors, prints and designs so you shouldn’t have to sacrifice style for your green kitchen design.

Green interior design doesn’t just refer to using sustainable materials that are newly made, it also has a lot to do with recycling so that older materials get reused instead of ending up in the landfill.  This is where a keen eye and a love for antiques will come in handy.  No matter what theme or color scheme you have going in your kitchen interior design, buying antiques will add ambiance and charm to your decor.

Try scouring flea markets and  antique shops for those perfect finds.  Also, don’t discount consignment stores – you can find them in almost every town these days and you will often find really great items that are in like new condition for a fraction of the price that you would pay in the retail store.  This is a great place to look for those knickknacks as well as furniture for your kitchen design.

Green interior design can mean a lot of things when you’re decorating your kitchen.  First and foremost try to buy items that are made from sustainable materials.  Also you want to focus on items that are non-toxic and won’t pollute the environment as well as ones that are manufactured with environmentally friendly methods.  Finally, reusing old items is a great way to keep your kitchen design green as well as give it unique appeal.

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