U.K.'s First Recycled Kitchen
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12. 5.06
This fully recycled kitchen, the first in the U.K., uses only materials of minimum 50% and up to 100% recycled content. Although it was difficult for Milestone Design, all of the materials have been sourced from within Britain. The designers wanted to prove that eco design does not have to be expensive and can be done well within most people’s budgets. Clever and economical use of materials was key to the construction. The cupboard doors were made from yoghurt pots and foil lids (which add a sparkle to them). It takes about 700 pots to make one door. The worktops are made from vending machine coffee cups--2,400 are used to make one metre of counter. The cabinets are made from 50% recycled wood products, including fruit crates, sawmill trimmings and pallets. The sink is made from recycled content steel, which is in turn recyclable. It took two years to develop the kitchen which was designed for the middle market. As the designer said: “We collect all these materials in our kitchens, so it’s absolutely appropriate that they should return as kitchen furniture”. :: Milestone Design via :: Guardian
A brilliant and clever idea to use kitchen goods and materials to construct a recyled kitchen through which more of those same goods and materials will pass during use. And to make it affordable to boot is excellent.
Looks pretty good, I wonder what other colors the countertop comes in and how durable it is?
Anyway, it is definitely a neutral color scheme and that will appeal to a lot of people, especially the segment of the market that is updating houses, either to sell or rent, and want some eco credentials!
good work,but hardly groundbreaking-stuff like this has been happening on the w.coast of the us for many years. Still it would be far more enrgy efficient in most instances to reuse , existing material than to manufacture new materials,even though using waste is agood thing . Even 50% recycled materials involves more environmental impact than not remodeling ones kitchen.Mass appeal is important for change and this stuff is accessable,good points there.