To reduce Ocean Plastics and Minimise Carbon Impact and Decrease Waste to Landfill Through Pioneering Kitchen Trade-In Scheme  

In order to formalise its sustainability commitment and ensure accountability, British kitchen maker, Brookmans by Smallbone, is pioneering Used Kitchen Exchange (UKE)’s independently accredited ‘Kitchen Sustainability Calculator’.

 The Kitchen Sustainability Calculator accurately identifies the amount of carbon generated during the manufacture and installation of one of its kitchens – including cabinetry, worktops and appliances. As such, the business now pledges to offset that carbon by supporting reforestation projects and, by heavily subsidising and promoting waste avoidance schemes.

Pledge to plant 100 trees

On average, 5,000kg of carbon is used to make and install a new Brookmans kitchen. To offset this, for each new Brookmans kitchen sold, the company pledges to plant 100 trees to support reforestation projects around the world. In partnership with One Tree Planted, Brookmans will also be supporting projects that have a positive social impact on the local community by providing jobs and tackling issues such as air quality.

Remove 5kgs of waste from the ocean for every kitchen sold

To counteract the plastic that is used in its supply chain and packaging, Brookmans is also working with 4Ocean to Reduce Ocean remove 5kgs of waste from the ocean for every new kitchen sold – equivalent to 500 plastic bottles. 4Ocean is one of the only companies in the world that hires full-time captains and crews to recover rubbish directly from the ocean, rivers, and coastlines. From the moment it’s recovered, every kilogram of rubbish collected is tracked through 4Ocean’s entire supply chain. This meticulous documentation process sets a new industry standard of accuracy and accountability for products that claim to be made from recycled ocean plastic. 

Rather than just offsetting its impact, Brookmans is also committed to reducing the net carbon impact of a new kitchen. This will be achieved by leveraging the ‘circular kitchen economy’ and offering individual customers practical solutions to reduce their personal impact by providing sustainable options for the removal of their existing kitchen, including appliances and worktops. Customers who take advantage of these solutions are likely to reduce their net carbon impact to zero. The three options available are to trade-in, re-purpose or re-cycle an outgoing kitchen:

Re-sell: In partnership with UKE, Brookmans is able to heavily subsidise a bespoke, eco trade-in service for a customer’s outgoing kitchens. All profits will circle back to the customer, giving them a financial contribution towards the cost of their new Brookmans kitchen, as well as a personalised carbon certification.   This hassle-free process includes a professional kitchen evaluation to include photography, measurements and condition survey, as well as a white glove dismantle service. The customer is left with an empty space ready for their new installation, without having to organise any waste clearance. They can also rest easy knowing that their outgoing kitchen will be put to good use and they will receive a certification of their carbon and landfill savings.

Re-purpose: Where the outgoing cabinetry, worktops and appliances in a customer’s home are not suitable for trade-in, they can still be removed, sorted and ethically recycled by UKE.   Following the sorting process, appliances are graded for repair or recycle – items that are graded for repair are donated to the registered charity, Groundwork. They will be refurbished through an apprenticeship programme called ‘Rework’ that provides employment and training for young people and then distributed to charity partners to be re-sold at affordable prices to low-income families. Rework is one of the busiest and best equipped domestic appliance repair workshops in the country.

Re-cycle: Finally, to provide a responsible solution for kitchens and appliances that can’t be traded in or re-purposed, Brookmans and UKE are partnering to fund the correct recycling or conversion to biomass, thus preventing unnecessary landfill and further environmental pollution.

David Reid, Brand Director for Brookmans By Smallbone, comments: “Sustainability has always been key for us – we have worked with UKE since our launch to re-sell customer’s 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/Director of UKE comments: “We are delighted that Brookmans by Smallbone has whole-heartedly 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”.

Brookmans kitchens are made to last a lifetime – they should never need to be replaced and can be reappointed as trends and household life evolves. This reduces the need for ongoing manufacture, as well as our reliance on ‘throw away culture’. Where possible, Brookmans will always use repurposed timber and where new is required, it is always FSC certified. In the Brookmans factory in Wiltshire, electricity is generated by solar panels and a million-pound investment in energy-efficient woodworking machinery has reduced the carbon footprint of its furniture manufacturing by 30%.