At The Main Company we are very passionate about continuing and developing our own sustainable processes. The conversation of climate change and sustainability has such urgency and importance in today’s headlines, so let’s work together to help reduce the greenhouse gases that cause climate change and global warming.
Our wooden kitchens and rustic furniture are made using reclaimed wood. We burn waste in our biomass to heat our buildings and workshops, this also heats our kilns to dry the wood to an acceptable moisture level. We are completely imbued in these processes of recycling, up cycling and sustaining natural materials.
How can we be conscious of the environment when planning a new kitchen?
Any kitchen we design, you can be rest assured that we have done our upmost in keeping things as green as possible. Let us embrace eco-friendliness together! We would like to help our readers achieve more sustainability in their kitchen.
Eco-friendly products and materials not only protect the environment but they have a rich rawness, offering a unique aesthetic with so much character and freshness. Take a look at our Cattal Street project, featuring a reclaimed engineered pine wood finish of Oldham Mill board, solid oak drawer boxes, lacquered birch plywood carcasses and stainless steel.
So which choices can you make to create a sustainable kitchen?
Stainless steel: Let’s begin with stainless steel – not only is it incredibly stylish, it’s made from 70% recycled material and it makes the perfect mood for an industrial look.
Salvaged wood: We create reclaimed kitchen cabinets and worktops, made from carefully sourced salvaged wood. We love the rustic patina of natural wood that has lived and can be revived. One of the most important aspects of choosing reclaimed wood for us is how no two pieces are the same, each one has a different story to tell.
Our reclaimed wood is recovered from old barns, factories and warehouses. This wood is hundreds of years old. Older wood has been proven to be stronger and more durable than new types of wood – it’s a no brainer!?
Paint: When you are choosing a paint for your next project, it’s worth considering how eco-friendly the company is. We use the environmentally-friendly Little Greene paint company; their packaging and metal cans contain recycled materials that are to be recycled again upon disposal. How fabulous! Choose a paint that is eco-friendly.
Flooring: Invest in a flooring that is going to last. We reclaim wood to make strong and durable floors. As one of the largest reclaimed ranges in the UK, our range of stock allows our clients to pick the perfect choice for their projects – from reclaimed wall cladding to engineered reclaimed floors.
We may be biased, but look how great these reclaimed wood flooring projects of ours are…
Another possibility to consider for your kitchen is underfloor heating, to keep those toes nice and toasty! It is also eco-friendly, regulating the heat more economically throughout a space. The Main Company are one of only a few companies in the UK that engineer reclaimed timber flooring that is compatible with underfloor heating.
If you’re not looking for a new kitchen but would like to do your bit to keep your cooking and kitchen eco-friendly, here are some Main Company tips:
Invest in some good quality hardware – pots and pans made from ceramic, stainless steel or cast iron will stand the test of time!
Say no to palm oil. The palm oil industry causes deforestation, threatening endangered species like Orangutans and the land rights of the indigenous peoples of Malaysia and Indonesia – how awful! Try to avoid buying products with palm oil ingredients. It’s super easy to replace palm oil with other vegetable oils. However, do be aware that for some product labels that include vegetable oil, they also state the amount of saturated fat you can find inside.. then that oil is either palm kernel oil, palm oil or coconut oil because they are the only vegetable oils containing saturated fats. It’s a complex business!
Fed up of cling film? We certainly are! Single use plastic is a no no in the kitchen.
We’ve been trying these BeeBeebeeswax wraps, they’re washable and reusable, and we love their groovy patterns!
Meal prepping – it sounds pretty basic but you would be surprised how many of us don’t do this. Not planning your weekly meals can generate food waste.
Food waste which ends up in landfill produces green house gases, contributing to global warming and climate change.
Pre-prepare and plan your meals – we love taking inspiration from Family Style Food. Check out Karen’s easy, healthy recipes using seasonal ingredients to kick start your weekly meal planning.
We hope you find this blog post useful, whether it inspires you to think more sustainably in the kitchen, or has helped in making some decisions for your dream kitchen, we really hope that together we can bring change and reduce our contribution to global warming.
