Looking for kitchen ideas to make the center of your home the best it can be?
When it comes to the kitchen, it’s not just the food you choose to buy that counts; the kitchen itself can carry a heavy carbon footprint, from the appliances you use to the materials of which the kitchen is made. Check out these simple kitchen ideas that can revamp your kitchen with low-impact style and sensibility.
1. Non-Toxic Cookware
Non-stick cookware poses potential health risks, so be sure to replace any Teflon-coated cookware with ceramic-coated cookware. Ceramic coating prevents food from sticking to the plans and can stay stable at high temperatures, which means it will not smoke or fume to transfer toxins to your food.
Cuisinart’s Green Gourmet Cookware uses ceramic-based non-stick technology and is designed to conduct heat better. It is also made from 70 percent recycled materials and is backed by a lifetime warranty. Other worthy brands are Bialetti Aeternum, whose cookware is made of titanium and micro-particles of suspended silicate (main ingredient in glass); Original GreenPan, which features Thermolon non-stick technology that can withstand temperatures as high as 850 degrees Fahrenheit without emitting toxic fumes; Ozeri Green Earth Smooth Ceramic Cookware, made of German-engineered Greblon ceramic that is free of PTFE and PFOA; and ScanPan Professional Pans, which features a Green Tek non-stick surface and ceramic titanium coating that’s free of PFOA and PFOS.
2. Bamboo or Acacia Utensils
Bamboo or acacia kitchen utensils are becoming increasingly more popular in the kitchen. Wooden utensils are overall economical and lasting. They are delicate and less abrasive than plastic or metal utensils and offer a more home-like feel to the kitchen environment. Bamboo and acacia are highly-renewable. They grow and regenerate themselves quickly and can be harvested every 3-7 years as opposed to soft-woods, which take up to 20 years. They are also far more durable than other woods. Check out bamboo and acacia kitchen utensils and make the switch.
3. Countertops
There are a variety of options for eco-friendly kitchen countertops – it all depends on your taste. IceStone is the most popular recycled kitchen surface and is made of three core ingredients: 100 percent recycled glass, Portland cement, and pigment. It is safe and durable as well as comes in a variety of colors. Eco by Cosentino is 75 percent postindustrial or post-consumer materials. It has a nonporous surface and requires no sealant. Caesarstone offers a lifetime warranty to its residential customers. It is a nonporous surface and has a Greenguard certification. Teragren produces bamboo surfaces, which is a highly-renewable option and something that will stand the test of time. PaperStone Products makes a 100 percent post-consumer paper surface that is fused with petroleum-free resin extracted from cashew liquids. Coverings Etc. offers a 100 percent recycled glass surface material. Each shade signifies a single waste stream. What started as a graduate school project on sustainable design led to Tiger Mountain Innovations and its Squak Mountain Stone, hand-cast slabs made from recycled paper and glass bound with low-carbon element.
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Photo Credit: nosha