One simple solution: Don’t replace your kitchen countertops
Technically speaking, the most environmentally friendly kitchen countertop is the one you have, because buying a new one would mean “wasting” the one you have now. So, instead of replacing it, you could give it an upgrade instead. This way your kitchen countertops get a remodel without creating any wastage. Depending on what material your existing kitchen countertops are made of, there are various ways you can explore to easily give them an upgrade.
Here are some of the ways you can upgrade your old kitchen countertops without removing them and replacing them. Reclaimed wood or pressboard often swells and chips, but this is easy enough to fix with a good sanding, painting and varnishing.
Solid wood kitchen countertops need to be maintained. The best way to do this would be to start oiling until the wood seems saturated and varnishing. If the wooden kitchen counter top was varnished before, it will need to be sanded, treated with oil, given time to set and them varnished or painted again.
Even the most expensive and sought after kitchen counters made of granite and quartz that are resistant to burns and water damage can become withered. They have been known to crack or start to look faded after a while, which is much simpler and economically as well as environmentally friendly than replacing the entire thing. Though the material has to be mined it is already there and losing the whole piece for a new look isn’t exactly “green”.
First you need to decide if the crack or chip will likely get worse. If so then fill the crack with matching granite dust mixed with epoxy to close up the gap and reinforced the granite or quartz support systems which are often metal planks underneath the stone. Repairing the support structure can prevent the same cracking from occurring in the future.
You will need to buff any repair to restore its natural shine so cleaning and buffing the surface of your stone kitchen countertops may be all it needs to restore it to its former glory. This is a much more environmentally friendly option than replacing them with new stone kitchen counter tops; this would mean an increase in demand and more being mined.
If you do decide to replace your existing kitchen countertops (with whatever material) be sure to have it professionally installed. This alone can mean your kitchen countertops last longer than the ones you have currently, especially cracking granite and quartz.
Pressed wood is a popular form for kitchen countertops but if you are not harvesting wood in a sustainable manner then it isn’t exactly ecofriendly. However, using reclaimed and recycled wood and paper is a great way to use something that would usually be wasted by turning into fashionable, functional kitchen countertops.
Reclaimed wood chips and paper is fantastic, but if you want a statement piece that has been built to last it is a recycled glass kitchen counter tops. They have the same benefits of the much more expensive granite and quartz in that you can place hot things directly on top of it with no fear of damage. It’s strong, recycled, beautiful and much cheaper than its equivalents in function and durability.
So, we have established the most ecofriendly thing to do would be to repair instead of replace your kitchen countertops, but who are we to tell you what to do? All we can do is encourage you to choose an option with a smaller carbon footprint to replace them less frequently.
