When it comes to modernizing your home, you don’t have to sacrifice eco-friendliness for style. Making small changes like swapping out traditional skirting boards can be an easy and affordable way to give your home a fresh new look while also making it more environmentally friendly. Here are some ideas on how you can make your skirting board more eco-friendly.
1. Choose Sustainable Materials
Modern skirting boards come in a variety of materials, from wood veneers and engineered woods to metal and plastic options. While many of these materials might be attractive, their production and use often come with a hefty environmental cost. To make better choices for the environment, look for materials that are certified sustainable by organizations such as Forest Stewardship Council or Environmental Choice Program. These labels help ensure that the material has been produced using ecologically responsible practices at every stage of its manufacture.
2. Opt for Recycled Materials
Another great way to reduce the environmental impact of your skirting board is by choosing recycled materials when possible. There are now several companies offering lines of skirting boards made from reclaimed wood or other salvaged materials, giving them a second life while reducing waste in landfills. Many of these recycled products offer the same level of quality and performance as those made from virgin resources, but with much less environmental damage associated with them.
3. Buy Locally Made Products
Buying locally sourced products is another excellent way to minimize the environmental impact of your skirting boards while supporting local businesses at the same time. Local manufacturers typically require fewer resources than large scale producers due to their smaller-scale operations and reduced transportation needs, resulting in less pollution created throughout production process. Furthermore, buying locally made products helps keep jobs in the community and supports small business owners who contribute to healthy local economies across Canada!
4. Avoid unnecessary finishes
Skirtings are often finished with paints or stains to protect them from moisture and everyday wear and tear over time – but all these finishes can add up when it comes to air pollutants released during the manufacturing process. That’s why you should avoid unnecessary finishes wherever possible – especially on interior skirtings that are not subject to heavy wear and tear – so you can reduce the emissions associated with their production without compromising on quality or appearance.
5. Reuse old skirtings
Rather than throwing away old skirtings when you replace them with newer models, think about how they can be reused elsewhere in the home! Not only does reusing old skirtings reduce your carbon footprint by eliminating the need to manufacture new ones, but it also adds character and charm in unexpected places like bookcases or shelving – giving even tired old skirtings a new lease of life!
6. Recycle when you can
Finally, remember that recycling is one of the simplest yet most effective ways we can make our modern skirting boards more environmentally friendly! By donating used skirtings rather than throwing them away where possible – either through donation centres or other charitable organisations – we help to ensure that these items are given a second chance at life rather than ending up in landfill sites indefinitely!
Whether you choose sustainable materials for your contemporary skirting project or opt for reclaimed pieces instead, there are plenty of simple yet highly effective ways we can all do our bit for Mother Nature without compromising on style or aesthetics!