We went to the Ecobuild 2010 show at Earls Court last week. It is just around the corner from the office so as we enjoyed going last year we thought we would go again.

All our kitchens are made from timber which supplied from sustainable sources and generally considered to be environmentally friendly. However, we are always on the look out for options which are even more friendly to the environment.

Last year we found a product based on a waste bi-product from the palm industry. Although it looked good initially it was not produced in this country and had to be shipped over, also it could not be formed in sheets large enough for us to use.

This year EcoSheet were exhibiting at the show. Their product recycles mixed plastics into a plywood substitute. We use a lot of sheet materials and so liked the idea of offering a recycled product. It can be painted too. However, after talking with EcoSheet it became apparent it is early days as it is not yet usable for internal applications such as kitchens.

So we are encouraged in the way things are going but we have not yet found something that we can use for our furniture. We will just have to stick to the beauty of real wood for a little longer.