Environmentally friendly worktops

[leli]

I am, eek, in my early 60s and for the first time ever I am going to invest in a new kitchen. Getting a wood kitchen made locally. I had always dreamed of carrera marble worktops but my kitchen designer/joiner told me (yes, I should have known) that marble is blasted out of the earth with dynamite and manhandled by v low paid workers and transported overland to the UK. Not cool.

I am trying to do my bit for the planet, electric car, insulation, no meat, that sort of thing. So I'd like an eco worktop that ideally isn't wood. Preferably recycled glass or something!

Any ideas/links?

Is Terrazzo more environmentally friendly it was on the tv the other day with manufacturing in Belfast?

I'm sure you could find a marble/other stone worktop that is quarries/processed by better paid workers in a 1st world country if you wanted - just expect it to be 3x the price
Not sure how dynamite is environmentally damaging exactly - I'm sure it releases less co2 than the fuel to run a chainsaw :D

Real marble isn’t great for worktops, it’s a porous rock. Work top that lasts for ever: natural granite or UK slate. Reclaimed materials?

Following, as I’m interested to see what gets suggested!

Buy a second hand one? Iroco etc? Get one made from scaffolding planks.
The most environmental is reusing something.

Reclaimed teak lab benches are lovely and durable, they look better with painted cabinets though.

Thank you for the suggestions. I've done some research and found a place that makes worktops out of recycled glass that looks a bit like terrazzo.

www.resilica.com/about/

Also happens to be based near me. I have contacted them and will post in this forum to let you know how it goes for those who might be interested.

I like a bit of shine and colour. But most of all these days I like minimal planet damage.

Thank you for the suggestions everyone. Really appreciated. I do love wood but I've always had it and it always gets weird black spots.......

I've always had solid wood worktops. They look great and are super easy to sand and revarnish if they get scratched. I would never go for anything else...

Following, as we will be replacing the 30 year old kitchen we inherited as it's falling apart, and I want it to be as eco friendly as possible.

That resilica looks beautiful. I am hoping to find some kind of lab bench/old shopfit unit for a peninsula plus secondhand wood units round the walls but it was the worktop I was struggling to think of.

What sort of flooring are you going for? I don't want tiles as they are too cold and we are quite clumsy. I saw cork in a magazine but not sure if it would get a bit manky with spillage or pitted with damages.

That resilica looks lovely! Would be very interested to hear how it works and costs (I've never had anything other than the worktop that came with the kitchen)

Let us know how you get on with the glass terrazzo very interested on cost comparisons.

Good luck with sorting out your new kitchen

Our kitchen worktops are recycled glass, like the ones linked above. We’ve had them a few years and they look great! They were also made locally which was a result.

But be careful - they do get stained by things like tuneric/curry powder. Best thing is to cover with washing up liquid and it comes off easily. No other issues otherwise.