Shaun Pentecost from Holmewood Interiors explains how they’re working hard to create more sustainable homes.
Sustainable living and doing what we can to reduce the unnecessary depletion of the world’s natural resources, is playing an increasingly important part in the way we all live. I firmly believe that looking after our customers, staff, and our precious planet to the very best of our abilities, are all equally important. Therefore, for Holmewood Interiors, the responsible sourcing of sustainable materials, eco-friendly technology and our reuse, recycle and reduce waste initiatives, play an integral part in how our business operates.
What sustainable living actually means
Did you know that for a room or home to be considered sustainable, the design must respect earth’s natural resources and optimise energy and water use too? In addition, the durability of low-impact, high performance and high-quality materials that have to be manufactured, shipped and installed in an efficient way, must also be assured.
So our pride in our work means that we only use the best materials, from the UK’s best manufacturers, wherever possible. And we take care to source eco-friendly, sustainable material and technology options, wherever possible. By doing this, we help our customers to be proud of their stylish and newly created rooms, in the knowledge that they are helping to preserve the earth’s resources and reduce their energy consumption too.
Using sustainable materials
For kitchens, bedrooms and home offices, the predominant natural material is wood. This comes in many forms starting with solid wooden boards and laminate worktops through to the composite boards that are used in many cabinet shells. We work closely with our manufacturers to supply products sourced from FSC® and PEFC-accredited forests. These have the highest environmental and wildlife standards, and guarantee that all cut trees are replaced. With some suppliers, up to 40% of the wood used in the chipboard cabinets is recycled material.
Extending this to appliances, we look at the impact the product’s materials have on the environment, as well as the energy-saving benefits. Steel has a substantial carbon footprint and is a product of the environmentally damaging iron ore mining. As a result, many manufacturers are now trying to use more recyclable materials and components that include aluminium, glass, and brass if at all possible. However, steel is 100% recyclable and easy to recycle too.
Smart technology to cut waste and energy costs
Fridges and freezers account for up to 15% of a household’s energy usage. We always look to recommend energy efficiency, combined with good eco-friendly credentials, but how does this actually translate to sustainability in your home?
Smart technology means that many appliances have a power-saving mode. Some fridges and freezers include sensors that monitor when they are not opened and reduce the cooling systems running times accordingly. One smart fridge with an internal camera allows you to check directly from the supermarket to see what you have, thus avoiding the purchase of unnecessary items and reducing food waste too.
Smart ovens also come with a wide range of energy-saving controls. One of our favourites is a built-in baking and roasting sensor to switch the oven off at the exact point your food is cooked. Taking it one step further, some ovens also have Wi-Fi technology to connect to your phone and send you a message when the cooking process has finished.
Conserving Water
In tests conducted by Which? earlier this year, it was found that “dishwashers are, on average, four times more water efficient than washing by hand per place setting.” Most dishwashers and washing machines have eco modes, shorter cycles or economy washes, with a quick wash using the least water and a cold wash saving 80% in energy costs. But to be even more environmentally friendly, some machines are now made from recycled materials too. So take a closer look at the energy ratings, and the carbon footprint, if you are really looking to be more sustainable. And then Quooker taps instantly supply boiling and chilled water to save both energy and water resources. Just think about how much water you waste by running a tap to get it hot to wash up, or cold to drink!
We make sure we do our part too
So going back to our reuse, recycle and reduce waste ethos, we do our part too. When stripping out old units at the start of a project, all waste material is separated into wood and metal so that each can be correctly recycled. In addition, we use a specialist wood recycling company that then processes our waste and recycles it for chipboard production.
We have also upcycled some of the units we strip out and have installed them into local sporting and community projects, and we separate all packaging and recycle wherever possible too.
As you can see, sustainability is important to us. If you would like any further information or more tips on how you can create your room to be proud of in a sustainable way, please visit our website www.holmewoodinteriors.co.uk, call us on 01403 254090 or email info@holmewoodinteriors.co.uk and we will always do what we can to help.
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