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25 October 2019

Create an eco-friendly kitchen - five decorating ideas

There is a growing trend to be more "green" and environmentally-friendly, especially in homes, and so, Granite and TREND Transformations are offering tips to "go green" and transform your kitchen. There are plenty of ways to transform a home into an inviting, eco-friendly haven, but if you're looking to go green, the kitchen is a great place to start.

Here is a list of eco-friendly kitchen design ideas to help you get the ball rolling.

1. Choose eco-friendly recycled glass worktops

There are many ways you can create the ultimate eco-friendly kitchen. Many homeowners have turned to eco-friendly recycled glass worktops. The Recycled worktop range from Granite and TREND Transformations is the perfect candidate as it is both heat and cold resistant. The non-porous surface means spills won't stain it and cleaning is very easy.

2. Recycle and upcycle 

One of the most popular environmentally-friendly trends at present is upcycling so why not incorporate this into important areas in your home such as your kitchen. For example, why rip out your old kitchen, creating more waste and landfill, costing you money and taking up more of your time, when a lot of your existing kitchen, such as the layout and the cabinet carcasses are in perfectly good order? Some freshly fitted kitchen doors and drawer fronts plus a new worktop will create a brand new kitchen look and feel.

3. Eco-friendly appliances

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past decade, you've heard about Energy Star appliances. The ones with the little logo sticker placed on the front that tell you the appliance is energy efficient. Well, it's no easy feat to get your appliance labelled with the Energy Star seal of approval, and with newer technology, these appliances can save you anywhere from 10 to 50% on your household energy consumption. If your refrigerator, hob and oven or dishwasher is due for an upgrade, investigate your Energy Star options.

•  Dishwashers -An efficient dishwasher uses less water than washing dishes by hand. First see if your dishwasher can be repaired; if not, replace it with one with an Energy Star rating. Dishwashers using energy-saving and water-saving kitchen features, such as ‘energy-saving' or ‘quick-wash' cycles, wash dishes in shorter time periods, saving water, energy, and time. Dishwashers with an air-dry option dry dishes with circulation fans. Or, better yet, let your dishes air dry! Energy Star models are 25% more energy efficient.
• New Refrigerators - New models are 75% more energy efficient than 20 years ago. Models with a top freezer use 10% to 25% less energy than those with a side-by-side configuration. Less cold air escapes. In the UK, we store a lot of food in the refrigerator that will actually last longer if it was kept out. For example, ethylene gas released from fruit gets trapped inside the refrigerator, causing it to go bad prematurely. A smaller refrigerator uses less electricity too, saving the environment and money.
• Induction Hobs- Another eco-friendly appliance you should strongly consider purchasing is an induction hob. Not only does this cut your cooking time in half, but induction hobs are also approximately 90% energy efficient as they waste very little heat energy.
• Convection Ovens- These ovens use a fan that quickly brings the heat source to your food so that it cooks 25 percent faster than a conventional oven. 

4. Set-up kitchen recycling bins

The UK wastes more than 27 million tonnes of rubbish each year which could be recycled. So invest in a recycling bin for your kitchen.  With individual bins for rubbish, paper products, glass and plastics, it's easy to adopt the recycling philosophy in your home. There are many all-inclusive recycling bins you can purchase for your home that make it a mindless effort to separate your paper, plastics and glass products. With a range of storage solutions available as part of a Granite & TREND Transformations kitchen makeover, you can hide your recycling bins behind cupboard doors to keep your kitchen tidy.

The essence of going green, there's no better place to start than by properly recycling your waste products, and this is amongst the least expensive ways to create your eco-friendly kitchen.

5. Let There be "Green" Light

As lighting can account for upwards of 10% of your household energy costs, examining your lighting options is an absolute must for any homeowner looking to create a truly green kitchen. Inviting natural light indoors might be the easiest way to cut down on energy usage, but you can follow several other effective techniques to light up your kitchen. As you map out the lighting in your eco-friendly kitchen, consider the number and type of lightbulbs you use, along with the lighting style.

• LED Lights: Do you and your electricity bill a favour and replace any incandescent bulbs in your kitchen with highly efficient LED lightbulbs. Choose an Energy Star-certified bulb, and you can save up to 90 percent more energy than you would with incandescent bulbs.
• Dimmer Switches: Turning the lights on full power isn't always necessary, but standard lights don't give you the option to turn on the lights only halfway. Install dimmer switches and save nearly 50 percent on your energy consumption when you dim the lights.
• Multiple Zones: If only certain parts of your kitchen need full illumination, consider setting up multiple lighting zones throughout the space. You'll have to turn on the lights only where you need them the most, a practice which can help save energy.

With a selection of showrooms nationwide, it's easy to get in touch with a Granite & TREND Transformations design consultant to find out how you can transform your kitchen with eco-friendly designs the hassle-free way.For further information on Granite & TREND Transformations, please call 0808 149 5914 or visit granitetransformations.co.uk.                                   

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Note to editors

Granite & TREND Transformations remodels kitchens and bathrooms without the disruption of completely removing the old ones.  The secret is new worktops - on top of old ones, new doors, new tiles and splashbacks, and additional functionality in the current layout. The company has franchises all over the UK and all is detailed at granitetransformations.co.uk.

With compliments:

Taylor Alden Ltd
Suite 103, Highland House

165-167 The Broadway

London SW19 1NE

Tel: 020 8543 3866

Email:media@tayloralden.co.uk