Reducing ocean plastics, minimising carbon impact and decreasing waste to landfill through a kitchen trade-in scheme, are all parts of Brookmans by Smallbone’s sustainability plan.
With the help of the Used Kitchen Exchange (UKE)’s independently accredited ‘Kitchen Sustainability Calculator’, Brookmans was able to see how much carbon was generated during the manufacture and installation of one of its kitchens.
A ‘circular kitchen economy’ is another key aspect as Brookmans is committed to reducing the overall carbon impact of the kitchen and not just offsetting it after the fact. The way that Brookmans plans to achieve this is through the partnership with the Used Kitchen Exchange (UKE).
First Brookmans will be encouraging their customers to sell their old kitchens through the UKE. Repurposed via their recycling scheme if the kitchen are not suitable for a trade-in. If the old kitchen is too bad condition that neither of these options is viable, then Brookmans and UKE are partnering to fund the correct recycling or conversion to biomass.
David Reid, brand director for Brookmans by Smallbone, said: “Sustainability has always been key for us. We have worked with UKE since our launch to resell customers’ outgoing kitchens, but by taking this next step to pioneer the use of its Kitchen Sustainability Calculator, we hope to set an industry standard. Sometimes the kitchen industry can be slow to adapt, but when it comes to climate change, we simply must try harder.”
Helen Lord, founder and director of UKE, commented: “We are delighted that Brookmans by Smallbone has wholeheartedly embraced UKE as an integral part of its business. Our partnership will not only give its customers an ethical solution for their outgoing kitchen, but Brookmans is also trailblazing a gold standard within our industry for a sustainable approach to buying a new kitchen.”
It was found that to make and install one new kitchen by Brookmans produced on average 5,000kg of carbon. With that number in mind, for every kitchen sold, Brookmans will plant 100 trees as a way to offset this cost and to help with global reforestation. The tree plantations will be in partnership with One Tree Planted.
Another charity that Brookmans will be working with is 4Ocean to remove 5kg of waste from the ocean for every new kitchen sold, which is the equivalent to 500 plastic bottles. 4Ocean collects rubbish directly from the ocean, rivers, and coastlines using its own ships. The waste collected is tracked through 4Ocean’s entire supply chain and is then documented, processed and recycled into new objects.
All of Brookmans kitchens are said to be made to last a lifetime. Where possible, Brookmans will always use repurposed timber, and where new is required, it is always be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified.
The Brookmans factory in Wiltshire has its electricity generated by solar panels and a million-pound investment in energy-efficient woodworking machinery that has reduced the carbon footprint of its furniture manufacturing by 30%.
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