Competition in the market today is not only about producing high-quality products anymore. Most companies participate in several advocacies that would call attention to target customers because of their positive impact on society – eco-friendly kitchen refacing is one of these!
A piece of luxurious and durable kitchen furniture is a good catch for homeowners, but excellent products coupled with environmentally friendly goals are sure to be a topnotch- kitchen refacing is a good example of this!
In kitchen refacing, only a few parts of your kitchen furniture will be taken out, offering you less hassle in the waste disposal and providing a guarantee that less money would be spent. Aside from these benefits, who would not love helping the environment with only a little effort?
If you plan your kitchen to be refaced instead of replacing it, you do not only make a part of your home elegant and Instagram-worthy, but you also become an advocate for a better Earth.
Here are the three eco-friendly reasons why choose kitchen refacing:
Saves large items from the landfills
Homeowners always go for the most convenient ways in the disposal of waste materials. Possible options may include selling those unused items or donating them. These options are time-consuming and require a lot of effort for homeowners, thus dumping them in landfills is the easiest way. Though convenient, throwing away waste materials to landfills is not an option that is eco-friendly.
The following are the reasons why you should minimize throwing away garbages on landfills:
- It is difficult to rehabilitateWhen a landfill reaches its limit, it must be turned into its original picture (prior to being a waste facility), and it takes years for this to happen. Factors to be overlooked include waste type and volume.
When it reaches its capacity, capping will proceed, wherein a final layer will be added to cover it from the possible release of pollutants and takes almost 30 years or more for the land to be conducive for vegetation again.
- It produces toxins and poisonous liquidsLandfill sites are not only ugly, but they are also a major source of pollutants. Waste materials contain toxic substances and when these wastes break down, toxic matter in them will be released. For instance, electronic devices contain mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, among others- and these substances are highly toxic.
Leachate, the liquid formed when waste breaks down and water filters through it, is highly toxic and can pollute land, groundwater, and waterways.
- It emits greenhouse gasesWhen waste materials accumulate in landfills, it produces methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gas emission is one of the severe problems the earth is facing today. It is the main reason for ozone depletion, leading to global warming and thus causing climate change.
In kitchen refacing, only some parts are discarded, the boxes of the cabinets and other usable sections remain in place. This reduces the number of wastes that need to be thrown away, thus saving large items from dumping in landfills.
Reduces emissions
In the production of new cabinet boxes, doors, and drawers, the lumber first undergoes custom milling and finished products need to be shipped using cargo trucks or other means.
Custom milling and furniture transportation cause environmental problems. Here are the reasons why:
- In the furniture fabrication process, after the lumbers are dried, it undergoes milling. The lumbers will be cut, planed, glued, and cut into specific pieces to make furniture parts for specific designs. These steps consume a lot of energy, thus burning fossil fuels.
When fossil fuels are burned, they produce greenhouse gases, adding to the current problem of climate change.
- Same as milling, transportation using cargo trucks also use fuels. The problem is that not all suppliers are from nearby places, so the vehicle is far and thus uses a lot of energy. And a lot of fossil fuels are used; this would also mean a lot of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
Refacing eco kitchen doors and drawers requires fewer amounts of wood materials. Therefore, shortening the manufacturing process and providing less space during transportation, leading to fewer emissions of toxic gases.
Saves trees
Fully replacing kitchen cabinets and drawers requires the construction of new cabinet boxes, requiring more trees to be cut down from forests- and these can cause huge problems to the environment.
Below are the effects of deforestation on the ecosystem:
- Loss of habitat
The trees in forests provide shelter to a wide variety of animal and plant species. Cutting down a lot of trees would mean a loss of habitat for the known and unknown living organisms and thus creating an imbalance in the ecosystem.
Deforestation also causes an abrupt variation in the temperature from day to night, which leads to the death of inhabitants.
- Increased greenhouse gases
Trees are known for their ability to absorb carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and produce oxygen (essential for breathing). So when trees are cut down, carbon dioxide will directly go to the atmosphere and there will be less oxygen supply.
- Water in the atmosphere
Trees also participate in the water cycle. This means that when trees are cut down, there will be less water in the atmosphere to be returned to the soil. Thus, drying uplands, resulting in poor vegetation.
Modern eco-friendly kitchen refacing does not only guarantee household owners to save money but also saves our forests and natural ecosystems from extinction.
Environmentally Friendly Kitchens or Budget-Friendly?
Cooking and dining in a beautiful kitchen do not only give you a happy tummy, but it also gives you the feeling of comfort you’ve never felt before. If you plan on upgrading your kitchen, refacing is a great option!
Production of toxic matters and release of poisonous liquids from landfills; Emission of greenhouse gases from wood manufacturing and furniture transport; Deforestation for furniture fabrication- these are only a few of the many environmental issues that the world is facing today, and kitchen refacing helps alleviate or at least minimize these problems in a way or another.
If you have a hard time choosing between being environmentally friendly and being budget-friendly, worry no more because you can be both with American Wood Reface. We got you and your eco-friendly kitchen refacing covered!
