Chesapeake Home

Among the many ways to go green in the kitchen is to opt, as this homeowner did, for countertops made of paper-based Richlite and cabinets made with certified and recycled woods. (Courtesy Miko Wheeler)

Next to the utility room, kitchens are the biggest energy using areas of most homes, and with all the materials involved in cabinetry, flooring, and countertops, they’re also a space that uses a lot of building materials. So how can homeowners establish long-term cost savings while also minimizing the environmental impact of kitchen construction or renovation? There’s more to it than just buying Energy Star rated appliances. Here are some novel ideas for going green in the kitchen.

Green Cabinets and Floors

Since kitchens are where families tend to spend the most time and the most money (when it comes to construction or remodeling), it makes sense that homeowners should consider how they can diminish their environmental impact through design. Kitchens offer a lot of opportunity for taking advantage of recycled materials and sustainable wood products. “We ask a lot of questions of our clients to find the customer’s definition of ‘green,’” notes Steve Keener, president and CEO of Keener Kitchen Manufacturing Company in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. For some people, being green means sustainable construction, while for others it might mean saving on energy costs or creating a healthier home.

Keener says one of the first things to look for when purchasing kitchen cabinets or considering the flooring is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of the wood used in manufacturing. That means the wood was harvested sustainably. Many manufacturers offer lines made out of sustainable harvested hardwoods like cherry. Additionally, cabinets and flooring are now being manufactured from quickly renewable bamboo. Keener says that even if one doesn’t buy an FSC-certified products, buying those made with locally harvested wood species like birch, maple, red oak, or cherry is a more environmentally sound option than exotic species. “If you can contain where things are coming from,” says Keener, “you can contain transportation emissions.” Shipping, of course, has its own environmental impacts, which is one reason Keener’s company uses plywood and fiberboards made of wood products harvested mainly in Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.

Neil Kelly Cabinets is based in Portland, Oregon and ships all over the country. Although the shipping of Neil Kelly products to the east coast leaves a larger carbon footprint than more local sources it is certainly less than that of imports. Neil Kelly’s Naturals Collection features cabinets made with certified and recycled woods with environmentally-friendly finishes and case materials like quickly renewing and urea formaldehyde-free wheatboard. Using formaldehyde-free products makes for a home with better air quality, so concerned homeowners should always ask about the glues used in cabinet cores-it’s important to consider not just the wood used for the cabinet’s veneer but also what’s used in its core, its adhesives, and its finishes.

Paddy Watson, sales manager of alterego, a sustainable products showroom in Baltimore, says she recommends going with a cabinet line like Breathe Easy, which is made entirely of sustainably harvested wood products and contains no formaldehyde or toxic glues. The company is also based relatively close by in New York. “We like to endorse local fabricators,” explains Watson, “because a big part of being green is keeping shipping to a minimum.” Watson suggests homeowners consider custom cabinetmakers willing to build green and points out that some local Amish craftsmen will use green materials.

Made from the bark of the cork oak tree, it can be harvested without cutting down the tree, and has a unique soft feel to the feet and will withstand a glass being dropped on it without damage to the glass or the floor because of its resiliency. It costs about the same as hardwood floors but requires less maintenance and is less susceptible to damage from spills and wear. But in order for porous cork floors to last, they must be well-sealed and regularly maintained. green kitchen tips

LEFT: The cabinets in this timeless kitchen by Design Solutions, Inc. are biodegradable and have received Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) certification by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. RIGHT TOP TO BOTTOM: Among the many eco-chic options for countertops. IceStone (top) is amde of durable, 100 percent recycled glass; Lithostone (middle) is an eco-ceramic cement with no off-gassing; and the locally-manufactured Lukecrete (bottom) is proprietary concrete with crushed post consumer and post industrial glass.

green kitchen tips

Forego Super-sized Appliances

While a homeowner’s eyes may dazzle at the thought of owning a 30 cubic foot refrigerator, appliances compatible with specific needs can make the kitchen greener. For all except large families, 16 to 20 cubic foot refrigerators will do. Top freezer models (instead of a side-by-side) will save as much as 20 percent on energy costs a year. Smaller microwaves and dishwashers are also more efficient than larger models. Keener says the vast majority of his clients are interested in energy efficient appliances more than anything else.

Brennan says super efficient appliances are available for homeowners willing to pay the price. Sun Frost refrigerators, for example, can more than quadruple the energy savings of a conventional refrigerator. Gaggenau induction cooktops use a magnetic field to heat metal pots and pans through direct heat transfer, so only the bottom of the pot is heated, not the whole cooking surface. Even the most energy efficient appliances can leave a large carbon footprint if manufactured a great distance from the east coast, so look for local companies to reduce the effects of shipping.

(For more information on choosing energy efficient appliances, visit energystar.gov or check out Dishwasher Decisions for green dishwasher options.)

Greener Countertops Mean Longer Life, Too

There are countless options for countertops made of recycled products or engineered products with low environmental impact. Rob Brennan with Brennan + Company Architects in Baltimore says some homeowners are installing countertops made of recycled glass, which is available in just about any color. IceStone is one company offering recycled glass countertops-they look and install like natural stone but don’t require the fuel usage and landscape impacts of mining natural stone.

Another countertop option is PaperStone made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper and petroleum-free resin. Keener says some of his clients have used Craft-Art countertops, which are reclaimed wood counters. “If it’s in a water area, it won’t hold up well,” says Keener, “but a reclaimed wood countertop works fine on an island.” Watson says she likes countertops produced by Luke Works in Baltimore because it’s a local company using recycled glass from the Baltimore County landfill.

Photo courtesy Miko Wheeler Fine Countertops and Neil Kelly Cabinets.

green kitchen tips

Lighting Up the Kitchen

A major but often overlooked component to consider when “greening up” the kitchen (if building a new house) is the home’s orientation. Kitchens have a lot of work space, and modern families spend a lot of time in them, so homeowners should consider how to provide light and warmth (or cooling) to the area in the most energy efficient way. One way to do this is by “daylighting:” the use of natural light to illuminate rooms instead of relying on electric light fixtures. Abby Vogen, program director for The Daylighting Collaborative in Madison, Wisconsin, says the cost savings of daylighting are real, as light fixtures, in addition to using electricity, give off heat, which puts additional strain on HVAC systems in summer months.

Here are some strategies one can use to bring more daylight and natural warmth into kitchens:

• If building a new home, try to orient the home so the long axis has north-south exposure to take advantage of the less harsh light of late morning and early afternoon and cut down on the heat of early morning and late afternoon sun. Be sure the heavily used kitchen is on that southward-facing exposure.
• Keep task areas close to natural light sources.
• Use tubular daylighting devices to light areas that are not close to windows or don’t have windows.
• To avoid excessive heat gain from natural light, keep your window to wall ratio at about 35 to 65.
• Take advantage of the passive solar properties of daylighting by installing tile floors in the kitchen, as they will absorb the heat from the sun during the day and hold heat well into the evening.

For areas that require artificial lighting, homeowners should consider replacing those incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or perhaps the new cold cathode fluorescent light (CCFL). Brennan says that even though CFLs are cheaper, CCFLs last longer and contain less mercury, which can be difficult to dispose. Though CCFLs cost around $20 per bulb, they can last up to 50,000 hours and have the “instant on” feature of incandescents.

A Green Kitchen is a Smaller Kitchen

Despite all the interest in green building, Keener says the whole trend of sustainable building and remodeling is still in its infancy. “We haven’t had somebody walk in and want an entirely green kitchen,” he notes.

Curiosity about greening up the kitchen exists, however, and Watson says homeowners can take small steps to reduce waste and energy usage in the kitchen. “Just having a place for compostable food scraps helps,” she says, “as does recycling.”

But for those who are considering a major kitchen overhaul or building a dream kitchen in a new home, Brennan advises that the best way to go green is to keep things small and compact. “Storage is what makes kitchens large,” he explains. “We try to get that out of the kitchen and into a pantry or provide more vertical storage space.”

“We advocate small, thoughtful additions,” Brennan adds. The result is not only a less expensive kitchen project, but fewer materials used and, thus, less impact on the environment.

Contacts:
alterego: alter-e.com or 800-339-1179
Bosch: boschappliances.com or 800-944-2904
Breathe Easy Cabinetry: breatheeasycabinetry.com or 410-734-7866
Brennan + Company Architects: brennanarch.com or 410-788-2289
Craft-Art: craft-art.com or 404-352-5625
Design Solutions, Inc.: dsikitchens.com or 410-757-6100
Gaggenau: gaggenau.com or 877-4GAGGENAU
IceStone: icestone.biz or 718-624-4900
Keener Kitchen Manufacturing Company: keenerkitchen.com or 717-244-4544
Luke Works: lukeworks.com or 410-366-6161
Miko Wheeler Fine Countertops: 410-798-9690 or mikowheelerfinecountertops@verizon.net
Neil Kelly Cabinets: neilkellycabinets.com or 503-335-9207
PaperStone: paperstoneproducts.com or 360-538-9815
Sun Frost: sunfrost.com or 707-822-9095