Talking About Green

There are several ways to make your new kitchen environmentally friendly. What better opportunity or excuse to make these changes than during your kitchen remodel?  Few people are willing to spend the time and money to make their kitchen more environmentally friendly without other motives. Usually, a remodel is done to improve the looks of a kitchen. Luckily, you can both improve the looks and make your kitchen more environmentally friendly at the same time.

The first way to make a positive, environmentally friendly change in your kitchen is to place the stove and refrigerator far apart from one another. The heat from the stove can make the refrigerator work extra hard in order to cool down from that heat. By placing them far from one another, the refrigerator should not have to work as hard in order to keep the food cold; thereby, reducing the energy that is spent.

The cabinets are a focal point in the kitchen. They are one of the main reasons people do kitchen remodels in the first place. It’s important to get beautiful cabinets in your kitchen and believe it or not, you can have both beautiful and environmentally friendly cabinets in your house. There are sustainable wood cabinets available on the market for a very affordable price. Knotty alder cabinets are a beautiful choice to consider and can help to improve the look of any kitchen out there.

One of the biggest reasons more consumers aren’t thinking green in their remodels is because they are concerned about the additional costs of doing such. What they would be surprised to find out, though, is that being green can and usually does save money. For instance, linoleum counters are a very inexpensive choice for countertops and guess what? They are made from both durable and renewable materials which mean they are environmentally friendly as well.

Many people do not realize the environmental and economical benefits of buying local. The amount of environmental impact from transportation of products long distances can really add up. Also, by spending your money at local businesses, it helps to improve your local economy and keep your community thriving. So think local when purchasing countertops, flooring, cabinets and appliances.

Ryan Chaffin is an Internet fanatic and is currently majoring in Business Marketing. He loves anything technology, Internet, and social media related along with sports and health & wellness. Ryan currently specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), blogging, and social media and believes in achieving your fullest potential on and off the web. You can also find Ryan on Twitter (@ryanchaffin).