A considerable amount of time goes into planning a kitchen remodel and choosing the right focal elements like the countertop, cabinets, backsplash, etc. The kitchen countertop is one of your house's most noticeable features and is used almost all the time for cooking and meal prep.
While selecting different types of countertop edges for your kitchen, various factors come into play, for example, cost, material, design, durability, and strength. But a factor that's more than often overlooked is choosing green material that benefits you and the environment as well.
Maintaining an eco-friendly kitchen may be very hard for anyone in today's age and time. There's a variety of products and materials available at cheaper rates, even if they are not environment friendly. However, we have to understand that saving money can not always be the priority at this age. Any amount of money you may save right now is inevitably damaging your planet and endangering future generations. Your usage of recycled options can benefit the environment in multiple ways.
In the article, we'll explore 8 eco-friendly kitchen countertop materials and how they're going to help you make your kitchen more environment-friendly.
Benefits of using recycled materials for kitchen countertops
Using recycled material would mean that less deforestation would require making new cabinet doors, wooden islands, doors, or even countertops. If you decide to revamp your kitchen's old countertop, cabinet doors, or any other item, you can resell or recycle those and help reduce your carbon footprint.
The increased use of recycled materials and eco-friendly options will also encourage manufacturers to use more environmentally friendly means to produce their products and come up with recyclable materials. If you are using energy-efficient kitchen appliances, you are not only saving electricity for future generations, but you'll be saving tons in bills.
Many home buyers now prefer to buy houses with eco-friendly features, so the value of your property will most likely increase over time. If you want to be a part of this journey, here's a quick list of sustainable kitchen countertop materials to help you maintain a green home.
1. Icestone
Icestone is derived from recycled glass, and it has been around for a long time. What makes it a green option is that it's made from 100% recycled glass. It will help keep your home eco-friendly. Also, it's an affordable option that can be combined with concrete to create a more durable countertop and a beautiful visual item in your kitchen.
2. Butcher's block or reclaimed wood
Butcher's block is a preferred choice of homeowners looking to go green because of its durability and sustainability as kitchen islands. You can also use this wood to make countertops. However, an even better option would be to use reclaimed wood, a natural material that will give your kitchen that classic and elegant feeling you've been looking for.
Although the natural organic surface is prone to occasional wear and tear, it's a low-cost option and can be fixed easily. Its eco-friendly nature makes it a favorite choice for professional kitchen designers.
3. PaperStone
PaperStone is made with recycled paper and petroleum-free resin, making it a greener alternative to traditional laminate. Laminate may be a little cheap, but all that plastic is very harmful to the environment.
PaperStone is beautiful and hardcore! From its durability to appearance, everything is as good as any other option. The best part about this material is that it's stain-resistant due to petroleum-free resin and post-consumer recycled paper. It comes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, so you can always customize it as per your need.
Read more: The pros and cons of PaperStone countertops
4. Recycled aluminum and stainless steel
The highly popular eco-friendly countertop for a modern kitchen is either a stainless steel countertop because most stainless steel is made from 60% recycled material, or a recycled aluminum piece. Both of these materials get an excellent score in durability and strength. What makes them a ubiquitous green alternative is their ability to be recycled over and over again.
5. Recycled concrete
Making concrete is one of the most energy-intensive processes. It uses huge amounts of water and other raw materials, which are non-renewable. Also, the considerable cost involved in transporting concrete makes it very unfriendly towards the environment. Hence, companies have now started coming up with recycled concrete products replacing almost 80% of the cement with recycled cement materials.
Concrete is known to last a lifetime but if you plan on painting or dyeing it, make sure to use chemically safe dyes so that it can be easily recycled later.
6. Alkemi polyester
Alkemi is another eco-friendly alternative to plastic laminate. Like its competition, it comes in a variety of colors, finishes, and designs; which makes it the winner for many users is the aesthetic finish.
Alkemi is considered to be a recycled option because it is made from post-industrial scrap waste. It uses very fine flakes like aluminum milling scrap, which can burn to produce a very strong air pollutant if not recycled properly. However, when recycled into Alkemi polyester, it leaves no hazardous carbon footprint to further damage the environment.
7. Geos (recycled glass)
Geos is a recycled glass slab and can easily be found in big stores. You can even install them by yourself!
This glass and resin product offers a lot of durability due to its non-porous nature and works like regular engineered stones. Although some experts believe that it's not as strong as concrete, the good thing is it's still made with pre and post-consumer recycled glass, so you're not part of polluting the Earth.
The variety of glasses used to create this countertop material allows it to offer a wide range of colors, textures, and finishes. Some companies offer at least 15 years warranty from the installation date, so your new eco-friendly kitchen countertops will be both exclusive (in design) and durable (in performance).
8. Altrock solid surface
Coming in number 8, Altrock is one of our personal favorites, not just because it's recycled, Altrock slabs are actually cast by hand. It can turn into any shape and size and then usually sealed by some sort of oil. After drying up, it reveals an elegant matte finish with a unique texture.
We love how customizable and energy-efficient this can be. Altrock is made from byproducts of marble manufacturing, including marble dust, chips, and chunks mixed with pigmented resin. The result is an absolutely exquisite kitchen countertop material!
Altrock is non-porous and durable and can be available in a variety of colors, subject to the availability of marble. The best part about Altrock is that it can also be used in flooring, bathroom tiles, and tables. Many acclaimed designers have used it to make coffee tables with an impressive finish. The whole combination could turn your kitchen area into a retro yet elegant arena.
Conclusion
If you're looking for an environmentally friendly and sustainable kitchen, these are the most viable green options for your countertops. These will not only be eco-friendly but also go excellently with your interior design. So don't delay your kitchen renovation, and choose these green options for your next project.
Feel free to share your opinion if you're already using one of these as your kitchen countertop.
