Sustainability, what it means and how we can all help (November Newsletter)

Fed up with the short lifespan of products?

Do you want to start living your life a little greener, more eco-friendly?
Are you ready to start your journey to zero waste?

Our lifestyles can put our planet at risk, so we need to take action.
And yes, individuals impact our environment, everyday and every action counts!
At IMDesign we are committed to providing you with a durable, modern, smart and elegant solution to all your custom cabinetry needs.

Don’t know where to begin? Try some easy first steps to get started:
-    Drive a little slower, you'll even save on gas!
-    Stop using disposable straws and single-use plastics. Always carry a re-usable straw, a set of cutlery and of course your favourite coffee mug.
-    Remember your reusables (shopping bags, Tupperware…). Many grocery stores have bulk food sections where you can fill your own containers.
-    Eat more whole foods and buy fruit and vegetables that are in season sourced from local farmers.
-    Try to MAKE or REPURPOSE something yourself that you would usually buy new.
-    Plant or grow something new. Try a herb garden! It can be brought inside if you live in an area that has extra cold winters.

Most importantly, if you’re planning a new home or renovation be sure to include IMDesign for your eco-friendly sustainable house, including kitchen and bath cabinetry as well as custom furniture.

Here’s why our ALL-ALUMINUM cabinetry is a sustainable choice: it’s all about ALUMINUM!

1.    It’s lightweight, strong, and versatile. This helps increase the amount of energy saved by using it. Here are some examples:

• Using lightweight aluminum components in all types of vehicles reduces fuel consumption especially large ones like planes.
• Its versatility allows for intelligent uses of the material and this in turn allows the industry to adapt, diversify and change to find solutions that may used in many applications, like CABINETRY!

2.    It’s recyclable. What does that really mean? The sole fact that a product is recyclable isn't sufficient; it must eventually get back to a realistic end use.

• Reduce waste: Most landfills are running over capacity and therefore separating reusable and recyclable materials will reduce the amount of waste added daily. Our cabinetry is built with 25% recycled aluminum and is 100% recyclable. It doesn’t contain any glues, plastics or adhesives so it’s considered a “clean” material to recycle.
• Reduce costs: Our businesses strive on reducing costs and recycling does just that. In aluminum’s case in particular recycling saves 95% of the costs compared to producing primary aluminum. We optimize our materials so that at the end of manufacturing 1 large kitchen the waste fits into a small waste basket and is recycled. No waste means keeping costs in check.
• No matter how many times aluminum is used, recycled and reused it never loses its unique benefits as a metal and the fact that it is recycled doesn't lessen its quality.

Fun facts:

An important metal producer once explained that when hundreds of all-aluminum rail cars were returned to them for recycling at the end of their 25 year lease the value after recycling was approximately 90% of their manufacturing cost!
Did you know that paper from trees can be recycled up to 6 times! Which might seem like a lot, except if you compare it to aluminum. Aluminum can be recycled an unlimited number of times! Fascinating right?
A great way to define sustainability is the ability to meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. A sustainable product is a one that offers a balance between environmental care, social well-being, and economic growth throughout its life cycle.

We can all participate in increasing product sustainability by making small lifestyle changes.