These brands and products offer kitchen and bath designers an option for a more sustainable interior.
By Seth Ellison
Behind every great housing design are the walls and surfaces that make it up. So much material goes into these surfaces that choosing to make them as eco-friendly, energy-efficient and durable as possible can help reduce a home’s overall carbon footprint, contribute to a more healthy ecosystem and, yes, save your client money in the long run.
Fortunately, traditional surface materials aren’t the only options to make a beautiful – and sustainable – statement in the kitchen and bath. There’s a plethora of choices that are equally gorgeous and environmentally friendly. Here, we list five kitchen and bath surfaces that are fabulous alternatives that also help save the planet.
1. Stainless Steel Surfaces from Stainless Steel Kitchens
Whether you’re designing for a bustling commercial operation or a home kitchen looking for a more modern aesthetic, Stainless Steel Kitchens has got you covered. The brand’s countertops are constructed from 18-gauge finish stainless steel and backed with 5/8”-thick marine plywood, providing sanitation, durability and a sleek look that compliments stainless steel appliances. The steel is also 65 to 80 percent recyclable and doesn’t emit any pollutants during assembly. The material is also advantageous for individuals with chemical sensitivities as the products release zero airborne chemicals, which could pollute indoor air quality.
2. Surface Designs From Durat
Durat doesn’t just produce a line of sustainable products. Its business model is based entirely on the principle of closing material cycles to produce little to no landfill waste, otherwise known as a “circular economy” — which it has pioneered in Finland for the past 30 years. Durat’s collection of kitchen and bathroom sinks, countertops and bathtubs offers extreme durability and resistance to wear, humidity, and various kinds of chemicals. They are also completely renewable with a light sanding application, in addition to being 100 percent recyclable.
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3. Sunlit Days From Silestone
Silestone’s Mediterranean-inspired Sunlit Days collection by Cosentino uses an exclusive HybriQ® technology, which drastically reduces the use of the health-hazardous crystalline silica, in favor of a hybrid formulation of premium minerals and recycled materials. Silestone also manufactures this carbon-neutral collection with 99 percent reused water, 100 percent renewable electric energy and a minimum of 20 percent recycled raw material, displaying the brand’s commitment to circularity and waste management.
4. Bamboo Countertops From Teragren
Teragen exclusively uses Moso bamboo in its countertops and surfaces because, out of the over 1,000 species available, Moso’s dense fiber composition is the hardest. The plant is well-known for its ability to capture and sequester carbon, making the manufacturing of Teragren’s surface products carbon negative. With a surface twice as hard as maple, the brand’s countertops offer long-lasting durability, performance and natural beauty that can be fabricated to exact specifications and taste — in addition to being LEED certified.
5. PaperStone Countertops From Icestone
It’s right there in the PaperStone slogan: “The Countertop with a Conscience” — and IceStone isn’t just greenwashing. This heavy-duty solid surface is made from 100 percent post-consumer paper and a proprietary, petroleum-free resin, offering lifetime guaranteed stain resistance. Though the surface is completely made of paper, it’s non-porous and absorbs virtually no water. The product is also sustainably produced in a day-lit factory that reduces energy consumption and that has a state-of-the-art water recycling system that filters 98 percent of the water used in manufacturing.