Zero Waste Kitchen Renovation
Have you heard of the zero waste movement? We’ve been following the news and observed this emerging trend from a kitchen design point of view. What does zero waste mean for your kitchen design? How do you implement it to your kitchen? We have collected a few ideas to get you started on your zero waste journey. Learn about a Zero Waste Kitchen Renovation.
Zero waste means you aim to avoid rubbish and waste wherever you can. Those who brought it to perfection, manage to live with less than a small bucket of waste over an entire year. For us normal folks, it means avoiding plastic and reducing the amount of rubbish and recycling where it is possible.
Kitchens are designed for long-term
Any new kitchen built and kitchen remodel will create waste. So when planning your new kitchen make sure it stands the test of time. Using high quality cabinetry and a time-less kitchen design ensures that you won’t have to do it all over again in five years.
Re-surface and re-cycle your kitchen cabinets
Reuse, reduce, recycle – if you follow this green mantra it goes without saying that buying something brand-new is not an option if your old and existing equivalent is still functional. A kitchen is quite often exactly this: Still functional. It might not be chic, modern, fresh or contemporary, but most kitchens we see are still working. They are built to last. Don’t you worry, living environmental friendly, doesn’t mean you are stuck with the seventies green kitchen either. You can re-surface most kitchens and make them look brand-new without any waste!
Re-cycle Appliances
Appliances are a difficult one. We don’t want to throw out the good with the bad. However fridges and freezers, stoves and cook-tops have dramatically changed over the last decades. If your fridge or freezer were built in or before the 1990s, then buying a new one can save you up to $200 a year in energy costs. So while throwing out a working fridge, you will save a lot of energy.
However instead of buying brand-new appliances, you can consider buying like-new used ones. Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and 2nd hand appliances shops often offer excellent white goods with warranty that is only a few months old. Buying good quality used white goods will save you double in energy costs and purchase price.
Customise your cabinets
A zero waste kitchen has different requirements than an ordinary kitchen. Reducing waste requires planning ahead and hence well organised cabinets and drawers. If you know what is there you don’t need to buy new stuff that gets binned. If you want to give your kitchen a make-over and manage your inventory and stock, add pull-out drawers and a pull-out pantry to your cabinetry. These will help you use up what you have before running to the shops, saving you time and money and reducing waste.
Built In Dryer Rack
Paper napkins, kitchen roll, plastic sponges have no space in a zero waste kitchen. Replacing these with more enviro-friendly options means you need to rethink your space. Linen, cloth napkins and wood brushes need drying space – so a built in drying or hanging rack, which retracts from your kitchen wall, is a great and practical addition to your kitchen.
Incorporate compost stations
If you want to reduce waste compost and recycling are the first steps. A kitchen renovation can help you composting and recycling. Put in a composting station and not just a bin. This can be built into your existing cabinetry to make it easy. In cupboard compost stations are out of sight, and reduce smell; even more so when composting food scraps and coffee grounds.
Recycling storage
Reducing waste means switching to reusables: tupperware, re-usable bags, bees wax wraps need to be stored somewhere. Re-allocate cabinets or add a set of drawers so they have a dedicated space and are accessible.
A zero waste kitchen can dramatically reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills while saving you time and money. Do you want to start your Zero Waste Kitchen Renovation, click here https://www.dianellapolishing.com.au/contact/ or give us a call on 9303 2176 to arrange for an obligation free in house consultation.
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