Looking for a Countertop With the Least Environmental Impact? Consider These Options.
Are you concerned about how your decisions impact the Earth? Everything in your home has some effect on the surrounding environment, from the water your home uses to the energy your HVAC system expends and every type of material you use in your kitchen. Finding the right environmentally friendly alternatives can prove challenging for homeowners. However, you do have options.
The following infographic highlights some of the questions you need to ask yourself when you start addressing making your kitchen greener. As you answer these questions, you can begin to identify the different types of materials that you can invest in that provide long-lasting and sustainable alternatives for your kitchen.
Wood Butcher Block
Most homeowners want to combine sustainability with engaging aesthetics to create a wholly unique look to their kitchen. Having enough space for food preparation and having the right materials for an easy cleanup becomes essential. That’s why more homeowners have begun opting for a wood butcher block countertop.
Most of today’s wood countertops are sustainably harvested from managed forests with fast-growing species. Wooden “butcher block” countertops do not require processing like many other materials, and at the end of its time in your kitchen, wood can be reused or (if never treated with toxic substances) chipped and composted.
The wood countertops help breathe new life into your kitchen and create a warm atmosphere; however, you will have to commit to taking proper care of the material.
Bamboo Butcher Block
If you’re worried about not getting the right kind of wood for your butcher block counter, there are eco-friendly wood substitutes available to make your kitchen an eco-friendly haven. Bamboo has proven to be a reliable and beautiful alternative to wood for generations while providing artisans with malleable and versatile building materials.
Bamboo looks, feels, and responds much like a traditional wooden countertop. While many hardwood trees take decades to reach full maturity, bamboo is ready for harvest in just four to seven years. Additionally, bamboo countertops are often more durable than wood, providing homeowners with less maintenance and a durable kitchen counter for years to come.
Recycled Glass
Finding new and unique uses for recycled materials has presented different challenges for home remodeling projects. With leftover and unused glass, finding something different to do with this common material doesn’t have to rely solely on a glass-based art — it can find its way into your kitchen too.
Many companies have given glass a second life as stylish kitchen countertops. Beer bottles, soda bottles, auto glass, stop lights, and more can create stunning surfaces in a gorgeous combination of blues, greens, browns, and reds. It’s a less durable material than bamboo or wood, so you’ll have to take great care when conducting maintenance.
Recycled Paper
Paper may seem like a delicate material for a countertop, but when paper fibers are bound with resin, they create a tough-as-nails surface. Enterprising homeowners can use recycled paper to create an eye-catching countertop surface for their kitchen that they never thought possible.
This type of countertop provides homeowners with a wealth of benefits. Recycled paper countertops are heat-resistant, moisture-resistant, and won’t dull your kitchen knives as some other materials might.
Soapstone
Finding a natural stone countertop material that can provide you with an environmentally friendly alternative can feel like the holy grail for homeowners. Stone countertops have been the gold standard in kitchens for decades, and soapstone can provide you with a countertop to help make your kitchen look beautiful and lessen its environmental impact.
Call BC Soapstone Today for Your Kitchen Counter Needs!
Soapstone, such as the beautiful material our team uses to create natural stone countertops in Bucks County, is an excellent choice if you’re going green. This stone is mined in quarries with traditional methods that use no chemicals and require little deforestation. It can last for up to 100 years and maybe recyclable. We can help with the soapstone countertop installation in your Chester County, PA, home and get your kitchen looking good and green in no time!
At our stone shop, we are conscientious about using natural resources. For example, we reuse all of our water many times, and we recirculate the heat produced by our machinery to help warm our buildings in the winter. Discover more about reducing our environmental impact and how we craft gorgeous soapstone countertops, finishing touches, and soapstone double bowl sinks in Bucks County when you contact us today!
