Your kitchen sure is one popular place in the home, isn’t it? You spend a lot of time there cooking – and eating – but you also socialize with friends and family, enjoying each other’s company. Maybe it is where you help your kids with their homework. Maybe it is the spot where you and your significant other can quietly start your day or end your day while the kids are fast asleep. Or, maybe it is just the go-to spot for music, dancing, and easy access to drinks with your friends on a Saturday night. 

No matter what your kitchen space does for you, you need it to be comfortable and functional. And, sometimes that means it is time for a renovation. So before you go transforming your kitchen into the space of your dreams, why not opt to transform it into the space of your dreams – that is also sustainable? Do something good for yourself and the world around you.  

What Does a Sustainable Kitchen Look Like?

According to UCLA, sustainability is “the balance between the environment, equity, and economy.” And it means meeting “…the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” 

We all need to do our part. And we can start by renovating our kitchen to be more sustainable. So, what does a sustainable kitchen look like? 

A sustainable kitchen is one that is made using building materials that provide benefits to the environment, from the raw material, installation, and disposal. It also means having energy-efficient appliances and other items when possible – as well as bringing in ways to conserve water, provide better air quality, and repurpose items. 

There is so much you can do to make a kitchen more sustainable. Use some of these ideas to help you begin renovating your kitchen into something more sustainable. Are you ready? Let’s go make a difference!

Use Sustainable Raw Materials

When renovating your kitchen, you may consider adding new countertops, cabinets, and the like. If so, then opt for sustainable raw materials. These are options that not only work well through the years in your kitchen, but are natural resources that are renewed quickly, such as bamboo and oak. Plus they look fantastic, too. 

Energy Efficient Lighting

You need your kitchen to have sufficient lighting. You want to make sure you can see when you walk in the room, of course. But lighting is so much more important than that. You also need to make sure you have a healthy dose of lighting while cooking, working out that Algebra problem with your kid, and more. So, while you may not want to sacrifice your ability to see well to save energy, you can take steps to see well and be sustainable. 

LED lighting is a great choice – one that is becoming more and more popular in light sources around the world. Curious why LED lights are so sustainable? They give off much less CO2 emissions and greenhouse gasses than other lightbulb options. They shine bright and beautiful, illuminating everything just right. And, you will see a decrease in your electricity bill too, thanks to a reduction in the use of electricity. 

A Great Ventilation System

Healthy air is important. When renovating your kitchen, you never want to underestimate the power of having a great ventilation system. This not only breaks down all the nasty toxins floating around in your air, but it can reduce cooling costs and energy costs as a result. 

Every time you cook in your kitchen, there are all sorts of food particles escaping into the air.  Certain levels of carbon monoxide have also been found in everyday kitchens. By investing in a ventilation system, such as a range hood, you are taking steps to confirm that the combustion process is complete – and that the air you and your loved ones are breathing is healthy and safe. 

This helps you maintain a sustainable kitchen environment. 

Add Some Plants

As an additional means of cleaning the air and adding a sense of overall freshness, add some plants. Potted plants throughout the kitchen offer sustainability. They are also known to reduce pollution in your kitchen space – and throughout your home too. 

If you really want to make your plants even more sustainable, opt for those that you can benefit from in the kitchen. For instance, growing herbs allows you to use them in various recipes you are cooking. They offer an organic and eco-friendly option for you to benefit from.  

And, let’s be real, having a kitchen of potted plants looks beautiful, too. 

Choose Energy Efficient Appliances

You may think that energy-efficient appliances come standard on new appliances but that would be a faulty assumption. You have to look for those that are energy efficient but also run efficiently, too. 

Appliances that are made with durability and quality construction is important, too, as it allows you to use the appliances for years to come. Each time you have to get rid of your appliance because it doesn’t work, it is a waste. So, spending the extra money now on a quality product allows you to own an appliance that will serve your family for a long time. 

When renovating your kitchen, consider replacing all of your appliances with an appliance suite as part of your sustainability efforts. 

Making the decision to renovate your kitchen into something more sustainable is important for your future – and the future of the world around you. The best part is that it is something that can be done on either a large or a small scale. You can get new sustainable cabinets and countertops, simply invest in a new appliance suite or a range hood, or add some potted plants to your kitchen. 

Any small step that you can take toward sustainability will have lasting impacts on your future. Now is the time to take that step.