Sustainable Practices: Everyone’s Responsibility
Key Takeaways:
- In the U.S., residential renovation is the third-largest source of urban waste — from demolition alone;
- In 30 years, interior design products will be responsible for 10 percent of the world’s carbon emissions;
- Carbon-neutral kitchens are an emerging trend.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
As the kitchen, bath, design and remodeling industry gets bigger, so does its carbon footprint and its impact on the environment.
In a sobering session on the KBIS NeXT Stage — “Responsible Design: Exploring the Circular Economy,” sponsored by Cosentino — a panel of experts pointed out damaging effects on our planet and our health, and steps designers and manufacturers can take to change a potentially destructive course.
Moderator Avinash Rajagopal, editor in chief of the Metropolis design platform and magazine, started the discussion with a wake-up call. Design, he said, not only has a big impact on people’s lives, but also on climate change and health. And tied into all of this is social equity around the country and around the world.
“The health crisis emphasized the importance of the home,” he explained. “When there is a dramatic impact resulting from climate change — from wildfires to flooding — or from a global health event like the pandemic, people of limited resources can’t just pick up and leave and start a new life in a new home.” So, it’s critical to make sure homes are safe and healthy in the first place.
Metropolis projects that in 30 years, interior design will be responsible for 10 percent of the world’s carbon emissions — a major contributor to climate change. “That’s a huge responsibility,” Rajagopal said. “Of all the places in the home, kitchens and baths contribute the most to the carbon footprint because of the amount of material and budget needed to create them. They are the biggest energy-users in the house, and they’re also the places where we take the greatest care of our own health and well-being. Therefore, it’s important to understand the impact designers have on these issues and how they can help in that process.”
Gary E. Wheeler, FASID, CEO of the American Society of Interior Designers, added, “These are scary times. Climate, health and equity are core themes woven into the current ASID strategic plan. We have the ability to do a lot.” He urged designers to take a personal pledge to make a positive impact on the world through design. “How the homeowner feels physically and mentally when they walk into their space is the responsibility of the designer.”
Rajagopal said change is needed at every level — manufacturing, design practices, contracting, use of space — and build partnerships with vendors and manufacturers with responsible practices is a critical part of this process. He noted that to build a low-carbon home, start with the kitchen and bath. “These are the biggest sources of carbon emissions. And surfaces are probably the biggest hot spot for carbon emissions.”
He asked Valentin Tijeras Garcia, Cosentino’s global director of product, research and development, to discuss the company’s carbon-neutral solid-surface products — among the first available on the market.
“Cosentino is tasked with making beautiful products, making them high-performance and durable,” said Garcia. They have to make economic sense, but it’s important the way they are made. It’s a combination of Innovation, design and sustainability. Sustainability means social responsibility. You have to be able to make money, otherwise you’re not in business for long. If you make something in the most efficient way but it’s not sustainable and it has polluted your community, it violates your commitment to society.
“Ultimately you need innovation, and to cultivate innovation, you need talent — and to attract the best talent, you need to do the right thing.”
Cosentino recently introduced its HybriQ+ technology for its Silestone product. Patty Dominguez, vice president of architect and design sales for the Macael, Spain-based company, said this is a method of giving Silestone the same sustainable and durable qualities as Dekton. The company spent over 12 million euros to develop it, and it uses 100 percent renewable electric energy and 99 percent reused water in production, and 20 percent recycled raw materials in its composition. “It’s much safer for the entire value chain, as the presence of crystalline silica is greatly reduced,” she pointed out. “It’s much healthier for our people and our planet.”
Generational shifts about attitudes toward the planet are starting now, said Rajagopal, especially about recycling, reusing and sustainability — the “circular economy.”
“In a few years, homeowners are going to be asking you if you can build a carbon-neutral kitchen,” he said. “You have to take those first steps toward learning how to build that now. In the not-too-distant future, California, for one, will regulate or ban certain products, so you need to prepare for that now. If you learn how to deal with that now, you’ll have a much better chance when societal and consumer preferences change.”
In the U.S., residential renovation is the third-largest source of urban waste — from demolition alone, even before new product is installed. One of the main challenges is reducing the waste cycle and how to supplement that with responsible products.
David Berens, founder and CEO of ReFind Kitchens, a zero-waste K&B showroom specializing in full-cycle building material reuse, suggested innovative ways to reduce wastefulness in the design industry.
“The circular economy is a system designed to be regenerative and restorative. Instead of the end product being waste, it contributes to the production of resources used at the beginning of the cycle,” he explained. “We need to reduce the consumption of things we don’t need. The goal is to hit zero waste, so we deconstruct projects and repurpose components. Deconstruction is like demolition but without the waste. It takes a skilled designer to know how to repurpose cabinets or surfaces from other projects without sacrificing function, and a supply chain that can deliver these reusable materials to those designers. We try to teach designers how to do this, how to find and be good stewards of the materials, and give them a second life.”
This often starts with the initial installation, said Berens, who is an NKBA Thirty Under 30 alumnus. “You can choose to deconstruct before you demolish, but it makes a difference how a surface is attached, for example, with mastic vs. silicone or constructive adhesive. I can’t remove that countertop to repurpose it if it’s adhered with something that won’t come off.”
Rajagopal added that designers and remodelers should think of using things in a way that assumes they will have another life. “In other words, take care of them. You want to be a ‘good seed’ for the next cycle of use. For instance, use screws, not glue, whenever possible.
Designers: don’t think that you’re designing a ‘forever’ space. In 20 years or so, another designer will be dealing with what you’ve designed today.”
Starting these conversations with clients about responsible material and building choices can be difficult, but Berens suggested making it personal and starting with individual wellness. “First, think about the health consequences of the materials you choose to be in your home, like low-VOCs. Second, think about the quality-to-affordability tradeoff. As an example, if you have a chance to buy a used Tesla for $30,000 as opposed to a new one for $100,000, would you? Many people would. In America, we’re coming to realize that shiny and new isn’t always better. In Europe, this attitude has been more prevalent, I think, because they have structures that are so much older.”
Garcia added that designers must educate themselves about characteristics of materials, products and the companies with which they do business. “You have to be very demanding, very inquisitive about products, what’s in them, how they’re measured, how raw materials are sourced, how much shipping is required, etc. This will force companies to raise their standards.”
Wheeler observed that incorporating best practices into responsible design is not discussed as much as it should be.
“Many of us didn’t even know that there are other options than a trash heap — as in recycling and repurposing materials,” he said. “We have a long way to go to educate designers and remodelers. We have to change our mindset, and think that a thing has another life beyond my one purpose. We have to participate in it, too, and specify the right materials. It’s a two-way street.”
Berens added that there are many local resources that will take reusable products, furnishings, construction materials and appliances and redirect them. Habitat for Humanity is one such nonprofit that will accept these donations. There are also deconstruction contractors who specialize in the safe, clean removal of materials for recycling and reuse.
“The Climate Toolkit on our website has a good list of resources,” added Rajagopal. “Healthy Building Network and Mindful Materials also have great information about what’s in various products and materials. Build relationships with local vendors and have this conversation about sustainability — they might know about brands that you aren’t aware of.
“You already have the skills you need to incorporate sustainable design practices,” he concluded. “Once you learn the fundamentals, the names and the labels, it’s a creative problem to put together the right materials to take care of our health and our planet.”