Fit for the future

Stronger together

Plywood is an engineered timber where multiple thin layers of wood are bonded together for strength, stability and durability. Choose products made with timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC, fsc.org) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC, pefc.org) and formaldehyde-free adhesive.

Bespoke spruce veneer plywood kitchen, from £33,600, Uncommon Projects (uncommonprojects.co.uk)

Good value all round

These fronts are made from recycled wood and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

By recycling the bottles in this way, the plastic has a useful lifespan of at least 25 years.

Kungsbacka matt anthracite kitchen, from £1,000 for eight units, worksurface, sink and tap, Ikea (ikea.com)

It’s in the detail

When commissioning a custom-made kitchen, request that plastic parts are kept to a minimum or avoided altogether.

Bespoke crown-cut oak-veneer plywood kitchen with adjustable wooden plinth and raw concrete quartz worksurface, from £45,000, Sustainable Kitchens (sustainablekitchens.co.uk)

Second time lucky

Investing in a quality used kitchen from specialist companies such as Rehome (rehome.co.uk) prevents perfectly sound furniture going to unnecessary waste.

Preloved Martin Moore painted kitchen, £30,000, Rehome

Yard sale

Search reclamation yards for reclaimed timber boards and ask a joiner to create made-to-measure units. Find one via the British Woodworking Federation Group (BWF, bwf.org.uk).

Bespoke cabinets made from salvaged boards with black granite worksurface, from £35,000, Mark Lewis Interior Design (marklewisinteriordesign.com)

Hard lines

Richlite is made from many layers of paper saturated with resin pressed under heat, which bonds the layers and cures the resin.

The paper is recycled post-consumer waste or FSC certified.

Kitchen and worksurface in Richlite Grays Harbor, from £300 per sqm, Surface Matter (surfacematter.co.uk). Bespoke kitchen, £POA, 202 Design (202design.co.uk)