Renovating your kitchen with someone like the Kitchen Professionals not only costs a lot, but this type of work tends to take a great toll on the environment. Staying eco-friendly often means spending less money, so keep this in mind when you’re worrying about the possible costs of going green. Below are some great ways to cut down on waste in your kitchen without spending big.
1. Reuse, Upcycle, Recycle
See how recycling is the last thing mentioned above? That’s because recycling uses more resources than simply directly reusing or upcycling. To break something down and turn it into a like-new, practical material is harder than you might think.
Kitchen renovation, as our modern society knows it at least, sees old kitchen fittings undoubtedly ending up a part of our landfill problem. Your old kitchen fittings might not be useful to you anymore. But don’t throw them away, because they might be perfect for someone else’s home. Advertise on social media or classifieds and tell others that you have something they might be able to use. If you were just going to throw it out anyway, why not give things away for free? Take some photos to go with your notices, so people can see that you’re offering something worth having, rather than trying to unload junk.
2. Replace Individual Items
Do you really need to remove the entire kitchen you currently have? Would it be feasible to replace only some of your kitchen? If you are just looking for a larger pantry, or more cupboard space above the counters, why remove everything? If you want to add something new, like an island in the center of your kitchen space, it makes even less sense to pull everything out and start from scratch. That’s not only expensive, but incredibly wasteful. There are companies selling pre-fabricated kitchen modules, which come in flatpack form and are ready to be assembled and installed in your existing kitchen. Likewise, there are probably cabinet builders in your area who will make and install any additions that you desire.
3. Don’t Replace, Reface
Does the aesthetic appearance of your kitchen bother you? Instead of wasting your money replacing things, consider performing a reface instead. You would be amazed how different a kitchen can look with some newly faced doors and different drawers. This is where you can either hire a professional to provide pre-made items, or you can get really creative with how you reface your kitchen. Even a fresh coat of paint, in the latest color of your choice of course, can work miracles when carefully chosen.
4. Consider Appliance Energy Use
There’s no escaping the fact that kitchens use more energy than many other areas in the home. Carefully consider how you can reduce your energy usage with appropriate appliances. There are energy ratings on new appliances these days, but those only help to a certain degree. You can go even further by thinking about how you’re going to use your kitchen. A larger appliance will use more power than a smaller appliance, even if they have the same rating.
5. Get the Right Fridge
It’s tempting to go after the largest refridgerator you can afford and fit in your kitchen. Instead, why not get something that’s just right for you and your family? A full fridge is going to be less wasteful on power than one that’s left half empty most of the time. After they’re brought down to a cool temperature, the items in a fridge will help to keep it cold. A bunch of air will not do that at all.