Sustainable Homes
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So You Want a Sustainable Kitchen? Everything You Need to Know
Keen to go green with your new kitchen? Three sustainable design experts reveal exactly how to go about it
It’s no secret that an eco-friendly kitchen is better for the occupants of your home and the environment. But will it cost you an arm and a leg, and is there more to it than just choosing sustainable materials? We’ve asked three sustainable design experts to share the lowdown on going green in your cooking space.
How is a green kitchen better for my health?
“Many building materials used to construct new [non-sustainable] kitchens contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – for example, most kitchen carcasses are made from pressed timber boards such as MDF or chipboard,” says Sam Rowlands, a building designer at Altereco Design.
“During the manufacturing process of these materials, chemical compounds are used and, once installed in your home, these compounds release ‘off-gas’ VOCs over their lifespan. Many of these chemical compounds are known to be harmful to human health,” he says.
“Many building materials used to construct new [non-sustainable] kitchens contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – for example, most kitchen carcasses are made from pressed timber boards such as MDF or chipboard,” says Sam Rowlands, a building designer at Altereco Design.
“During the manufacturing process of these materials, chemical compounds are used and, once installed in your home, these compounds release ‘off-gas’ VOCs over their lifespan. Many of these chemical compounds are known to be harmful to human health,” he says.
…and the environment?
“It’s worth acknowledging that doing nothing – keeping your existing kitchen – is better for the environment than putting in a new one,” says Rowlands. “But if it has to go, please don’t just throw everything in a skip bin; disassemble, recycle and repurpose whatever you can. You might be able to find a new home for your old kitchen online or use it for storage in your shed.
“Once you’ve discarded your old kitchen you’ll appreciate how hard it is to disassemble glued components. One day your new kitchen will be discarded – insist that it can be done easily and safely,” he says.
Keen to go green? Find a sustainability design expert near you on Houzz
“It’s worth acknowledging that doing nothing – keeping your existing kitchen – is better for the environment than putting in a new one,” says Rowlands. “But if it has to go, please don’t just throw everything in a skip bin; disassemble, recycle and repurpose whatever you can. You might be able to find a new home for your old kitchen online or use it for storage in your shed.
“Once you’ve discarded your old kitchen you’ll appreciate how hard it is to disassemble glued components. One day your new kitchen will be discarded – insist that it can be done easily and safely,” he says.
Keen to go green? Find a sustainability design expert near you on Houzz
What are some of the things in a regular kitchen that can damage my health or the environment?
Joe Mercieca, managing director at Blue Eco Homes, says:
“Make sure that whatever varnish or sealer you use in the kitchen is labelled food grade or child safe. Ideally, choose a natural oil rather than a petrochemical sealant, which will be better for the environment too,” he says.
Joe Mercieca, managing director at Blue Eco Homes, says:
- Glues and resins.
- Cutting off stone and manufacturing stone in an incorrect manner, which can produce harmful dust.
- Incorrect exhaust ventilation systems, which can cause moisture to penetrate your home’s building structure.
- Toxic products used to clean kitchen surfaces.
- Energy-hungry appliances.
- Floor finishes.
- Paints with high levels of VOCs.
- Materials that hold dust or moisture.
“Make sure that whatever varnish or sealer you use in the kitchen is labelled food grade or child safe. Ideally, choose a natural oil rather than a petrochemical sealant, which will be better for the environment too,” he says.
What are some eco-friendly alternatives for common kitchen materials?
Mercieca says:
Mercieca says:
- Benchtops made from natural or manufactured stone (the latter pending the manufacturer’s cutting process).
- Polished-concrete tiles.
- E1 formaldehyde standard timber products (which produce safe levels of formaldehyde emissions).
- Large-format, non-porous tiles with less grout joints where mould can grow.
- Recycled or second-hand materials.
- Solid timber joinery.
- Paper composite benchtops, which are made from recycled paper and resin.
- Benchtops made from solid wood strips that are laminated together.
How do I know whether timber has been sourced responsibly?
Look for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification labelling, says Bernstein-Hussmann. “Having said that, it can sometimes be hard to tell if, say, it’s a rainforest timber from an area that’s known to be less stringent in their regulations. Ideally, timber should come from local production,” he says.
Look for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification labelling, says Bernstein-Hussmann. “Having said that, it can sometimes be hard to tell if, say, it’s a rainforest timber from an area that’s known to be less stringent in their regulations. Ideally, timber should come from local production,” he says.
How do I go about choosing environmentally-friendly materials?
Rowlands says to ask about the following:
1. Resource: What is the material made from and how renewable is it?
2. Mileage: How far does this product need to travel to get to you?
3. Purpose: Is the material fit for purpose? Assess its quality, robustness and durability. Also consider how long you can expect it to last. The best-looking material might not be the one that lasts the longest.
4. End of use: Can this material be reused, recycled or repurposed down the track?
Rowlands says to ask about the following:
1. Resource: What is the material made from and how renewable is it?
2. Mileage: How far does this product need to travel to get to you?
3. Purpose: Is the material fit for purpose? Assess its quality, robustness and durability. Also consider how long you can expect it to last. The best-looking material might not be the one that lasts the longest.
4. End of use: Can this material be reused, recycled or repurposed down the track?
Apart from materials, what other factors should I consider?
“The kitchen volume or walls should have good thermal properties, and windows should ideally face north to capture sunlight,” says Bernstein-Hussmann.
“If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen in the daytime, it would be good to have an outlook into the garden.
“Cross ventilation can be hugely beneficial in a kitchen to get rid of fumes or steam.
“Energy-efficient appliances and tapware can also have a huge impact on the environment, while saving on water, electricity and costs. Heat-pump dishwashers and dryers use a fraction of the energy of conventional designs and are well worth considering. Try going all electric and getting rid of all the fossil-fuel burning appliances in your house.
“Induction cooking is fantastic. It offers all the functionality of gas cooking, but it’s less dangerous, it doesn’t impact air quality and there’s no risk of burns. Electricity can – and will in the future – be produced much more sustainably from regenerative sources. If you have solar roof panels already, then you will save a lot of money by going all electric too,” he says.
“The kitchen volume or walls should have good thermal properties, and windows should ideally face north to capture sunlight,” says Bernstein-Hussmann.
“If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen in the daytime, it would be good to have an outlook into the garden.
“Cross ventilation can be hugely beneficial in a kitchen to get rid of fumes or steam.
“Energy-efficient appliances and tapware can also have a huge impact on the environment, while saving on water, electricity and costs. Heat-pump dishwashers and dryers use a fraction of the energy of conventional designs and are well worth considering. Try going all electric and getting rid of all the fossil-fuel burning appliances in your house.
“Induction cooking is fantastic. It offers all the functionality of gas cooking, but it’s less dangerous, it doesn’t impact air quality and there’s no risk of burns. Electricity can – and will in the future – be produced much more sustainably from regenerative sources. If you have solar roof panels already, then you will save a lot of money by going all electric too,” he says.
“Ask yourself, ‘Can I reuse any of my existing carcasses in the new kitchen?’ Using the original carcasses and adding a new benchtop, doors and drawers can significantly reduce costs as well as the VOCs and raw materials required for a project,” says Rowlands.
“If you’re putting in new joinery, consider whether you can use E0 Plywood/MDF for joinery. E0 is a certification representing the lowest level of formaldehyde emissions, which makes for less harmful chemicals in your home and is safer for your tradespeople to work with too.
“Consider if you can specify low- or no-VOC paints and finishes. Specifying natural hard-finishing oil or wax to timber surfaces means no ongoing VOC emissions,” he says.
“If you’re putting in new joinery, consider whether you can use E0 Plywood/MDF for joinery. E0 is a certification representing the lowest level of formaldehyde emissions, which makes for less harmful chemicals in your home and is safer for your tradespeople to work with too.
“Consider if you can specify low- or no-VOC paints and finishes. Specifying natural hard-finishing oil or wax to timber surfaces means no ongoing VOC emissions,” he says.
What are the main things I need to consider when building a sustainable kitchen or assessing a proposed design?
Bernstein-Hussmann says:
Bernstein-Hussmann says:
- Does the proposed kitchen design maximise natural light and ventilation? There’s nothing worse than having to use artificial lighting to combat design faults or not being able to get rid of cooking fumes because there’s inadequate cross ventilation.
- What is the feeling of the kitchen and does it incorporate elements of nature? Research into biophilic design has shown that integrating nature in a sustainable way has a positive impact on our wellbeing.
- Are the products suggested by the designer natural?
- How have they been made/manufactured/harvested?
- What products are used to finish the materials?
- Do the materials or elements have any green certifications?
- How much embodied energy has gone into the production of each material? Embodied energy is the energy required to make the product and can include energy used in the factory as well as shipping kilometres.
- Are there recycled alternatives and can they be recycled at the end of the kitchen’s lifespan?
Will I have to pay more for a sustainable kitchen?
“Many of the more sustainable options in materials and appliances are also higher quality choices, and this will of course have an impact on price. So I would say a mid- to high-end kitchen will cost the same if designed sustainable or not. But if you’re upgrading a low-grade kitchen to a more sustainable design it may result in a 10 or 20 percent increase in cost,” says Bernstein-Hussmann.
On the upside, you can expect a sustainable kitchen to last longer than a non-sustainable design, he says. “With a sustainable design, you’re often choosing better quality over poorer quality, which will then give you better performance; lower running, repair and maintenance costs, and more longevity.”
“Many of the more sustainable options in materials and appliances are also higher quality choices, and this will of course have an impact on price. So I would say a mid- to high-end kitchen will cost the same if designed sustainable or not. But if you’re upgrading a low-grade kitchen to a more sustainable design it may result in a 10 or 20 percent increase in cost,” says Bernstein-Hussmann.
On the upside, you can expect a sustainable kitchen to last longer than a non-sustainable design, he says. “With a sustainable design, you’re often choosing better quality over poorer quality, which will then give you better performance; lower running, repair and maintenance costs, and more longevity.”
Should I hire a sustainable design expert?
Yes, says Rowlands. “A designer who specialises in sustainability will take a holistic approach to your current needs and desires and have an understanding of the impacts of materials on your health and the environment,” he says.
“They will also have a broader understanding of the function of the building and, for example, can offer advice on natural light, ventilation, thermal improvements and other design opportunities.
“In addition, they will know builders and tradespeople who are committed to sustainability,” he says.
Yes, says Rowlands. “A designer who specialises in sustainability will take a holistic approach to your current needs and desires and have an understanding of the impacts of materials on your health and the environment,” he says.
“They will also have a broader understanding of the function of the building and, for example, can offer advice on natural light, ventilation, thermal improvements and other design opportunities.
“In addition, they will know builders and tradespeople who are committed to sustainability,” he says.
How does the design approach differ between a regular kitchen designer and one who specialises in sustainability?
“A designer with a strong focus on sustainability will look at how a material is made and assess, for example, if it is a natural process or how much embodied energy it has,” says Bernstein-Hussmann.
“Off-gassing is also important. A lot of VOCs can be found in glues and finishes when products are made and sealed, and once they are in your home they can contribute to substantially reduced air quality. A good designer might look at these things and advise accordingly or suggest better-performing alternatives as well as ideas to offset them, such as certain plants that cleanse the air.
“Knowing your way around product certifications is also important as there is a lot of greenwashing these days. For example, a sustainable designer would know and can explain the differences between FSC-certified timbers and PEFC/Responsible Wood certification.
“A sustainable designer will also assess if a product can be recycled and will make sure products tick the right boxes at the start of the supply chain and when it’s time for the kitchen to be dismantled.
“A lot of non-sustainably focused designers may not be interested in or on top of these things,” he says.
“A designer with a strong focus on sustainability will look at how a material is made and assess, for example, if it is a natural process or how much embodied energy it has,” says Bernstein-Hussmann.
“Off-gassing is also important. A lot of VOCs can be found in glues and finishes when products are made and sealed, and once they are in your home they can contribute to substantially reduced air quality. A good designer might look at these things and advise accordingly or suggest better-performing alternatives as well as ideas to offset them, such as certain plants that cleanse the air.
“Knowing your way around product certifications is also important as there is a lot of greenwashing these days. For example, a sustainable designer would know and can explain the differences between FSC-certified timbers and PEFC/Responsible Wood certification.
“A sustainable designer will also assess if a product can be recycled and will make sure products tick the right boxes at the start of the supply chain and when it’s time for the kitchen to be dismantled.
“A lot of non-sustainably focused designers may not be interested in or on top of these things,” he says.
Your turn
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More
Want more on kitchens? Check out this story: Before & After: A Kitchen That Combines Mixed Materials & Shapes
Did you find this story useful? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more on kitchens? Check out this story: Before & After: A Kitchen That Combines Mixed Materials & Shapes
“Building and renovating plays a huge role in the world’s carbon footprint, so if you can choose sustainable design over traditional design, then not only are you winning, but so is the environment,” says Marc Bernstein-Hussmann, designer and architect at Melbourne Design Studios.
“Apart from materials, appliance selections are also important as energy-efficient models will often allow you to save on running costs while using less resources and being better for the environment,” he says.