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“Going Green” In Your Kitchen
by Frank and Joyce Weisman of The Cabinet Studio
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As Americans, we spend on average of 90% of our time indoors. 40% of the pollution in our lives comes from inside the buildings we inhabit. If the words eco-friendly and sustainable are not part of your vocabulary, they will be. “Going green” is the future.
In the so-called world of “green”, there are many layers. The first layer is green living, followed naturally by green buying. Green living, including cooking healthy meals and buying your food from local growers such as farmer’s markets and CSA’s (community supported agriculture), as well as conserving energy and recycling trash, are steps that can be achieved without any monetary investment, simply by cultivating good habits which promote our human health and the health of the planet. 40% of the cost of your average supermarket purchase is for transportation costs, which results in the burning of fossil fuels, contributing to global warming.
The next layer of living green is to address our buying habits. As consumers, our collective choices drive global demand and therefore influence whether or not manufactured goods reflect our desire for non-toxic homes and lifestyles. Our investment in green products and services in our homes and gardens is ultimately an investment in the future of our planet.
The kitchen is the “factory of the home”. I call it the “factory” in the sense that it is the place where the densest concentration of energy in the home is used. Think of all the appliances that the “modern” homeowner might consider a necessity of life, as well as the consideration of cabinetry, flooring, and lighting in remodeling the typical kitchen. The 3 ruling principles of green are: energy efficiency, resource conservation, and health. This is how we measure the “green-ness” of a kitchen. And of course there are always compromises, and this is where we get into “shades” of green. Be assured, however, that greening does not mean giving up style, convenience, or your budget.
Let’s imagine we are shopping to do a green kitchen remodel. How should we go about finding the right sources? Starting with appliances, always look for the energy star. Ask yourself, “do I really need this professional range that burns more gas?”, and “do I really need 2 dishwashers instead of one, or a trash compactor that turns 10 pounds of trash into 10 pounds of trash?”
With flooring, chose easily renewable cork or bamboo. With lighting, abide by the new Title 24 standards, emphasizing pin type fluorescent bulbs, or use screw-in compact fluorescents in your existing sockets. Fluorescent bulbs use 1/3 of the energy, emit ½ the heat and last 10 times longer than incandescents.
When it comes to replacing your cabinetry, there are some important basic considerations. Often I am asked: What about refacing? It seems like a good green idea, saving the existing cabinet boxes and just replacing the doors and drawer fronts. However, refacing assumes that your present kitchen is configured in a way you desire to repeat, and that you are not going to replace appliances with newer, more efficient models which might not fit the old spaces. Do you really want to be confined in this way over the long term? . By the time you paint the insides of the boxes and replace doors, drawer fronts, hinges and hardware, there may not be a substantial savings, and you will still not have a new kitchen. Refacing does make sense if you are keeping your countertops and are, other than appearance, happy with your kitchen.
So just what is a “green” cabinet? It is a cabinet whose box is constructed with a non-toxic, agricultural product core, such as forest slash or wheatboard made with non-formaldehyde based binders such as soy. It means that the hardwoods are sustainably harvested , and the finish emits no or very little VOC’s, or “volatile organic compounds” ( a carcinogen) which is what contaminates the air when finishes are sprayed and cured. VOC’s are what you smell in your new car, from your new carpet, and plastic shower curtains.
Some “green” counter-top materials might include bamboo, recycled glass (Enviroglass), recycled paper (Paperstone), recycled aluminum mill scrap (Alkemi), FSC certified hardwood butcher block, and ceramic tile.
Going green is not black and white. It is a process of gradual changes in lifestyle and thought processes. From light green to dark green, and all shades in between, it is time to do what we can for gradual change. So tonight, turn off your computers, TVs, and cellphones and cook a gourmet meal of locally grown produce and freerange poultry or meat with a bottle of California wine for your family or friends, while engaging in friendly conversation; recycle the trash and compost the garbage from that meal. Does it get any greener than that?
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