Going Green in the Kitchen and Bathroom

The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) knows that today's consumer is worried about the environment and eager to choose products and foods that will help sustain the earth for years to come. We came across this recent piece in Kitchen & Bath Business Online (the official publication of NKBA and KBIS) discussing how different bath and kitchen product manufacturers are making more "green choices" for their customers.

We are excited to see KCMA's Environmental Stewardship Program as the way one company shows its dedication to contributing to a more sustainable future.  Enjoy a few excerpts from the KBB piece below.

**Edited for brevity and relevance**

Going Green

Where we live – and the methods and products we use to build our homes – can help or hinder the environment. According to the EPA, more than 500 million tons of construction and demolition debris are sent to landfills every year. Once the products are installed, Americans tend to waste more than 180 gallons of water per week and roughly a third of home energy monthly.
Fortunately, kitchen and bath manufacturers are working to make products healthier for the environment and for homeowners. KBB spoke with five such companies to find out what drives their sustainable mission and how their products fulfill those goals.

KBB: Why is sustainability important to your company?

“At Bosch, sustainability and energy efficiency is not only a priority, it has been part of our DNA since Robert Bosch founded the company more than 130 years ago. Nowhere feels more like home than in the kitchen – it’s where friends and families gather to make some of their most cherished memories. It is with that understanding and our commitment to the environment that we design our appliances with the consumer in mind to enhance their quality of life.”

– Anja Prescher, director of brand marketing at Bosch Home Appliances

“MasterBrand prides ourselves on doing the right thing for the environment, our customers and our employees. Being a North American manufacturer of wood and wood-based products, we believe it is important to contribute to a more sustainable future for us all by participating in a voluntary certification, the Environmental Stewardship Program [ESP], designed to encourage cabinet industry policies and practices that benefit and sustain the environment.”

– Stephanie Pierce, director of design and trends at MasterBrand Cabinets

“At Nebia, sustainability is not just a buzzword, it is the basis upon which our company was founded and is central to everything we do. First and foremost, Nebia is about a worldview that our place on this planet is shared. Through our company and the products we create, we hope to change how people interact with water in their daily lives and, in doing so, inspire a generation of people to innovate toward a more sustainable future.”

– Sarah Daisey Clark, social media manager, Nebia

Photo courtesy of KBB Online

KBB: What does your company/factory do to contribute to sustainability?

“From green manufacturing to efficient appliance performance – and even recycling our product when the lifecycle is over – sustainability is woven into every step of the design process. Collecting and separating the production waste in our factories is a matter of course.”

– Prescher, Bosch Home Appliances

“All our cabinetry lines are Carb 2 compliant, meaning they adhere to the lowest and most strict formaldehyde emissions standard of .05 ppm. All wood or wood-based products emit formaldehyde, but the manufacturing process for some companies can greatly increase these emissions. We are taking steps to ensure the air around is healthy and free of carcinogens in all our products.”

– Pierce, MasterBrand Cabinetry

Omega Cabinetry from MasterBrand is a certified brand in the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association Environmental Stewardship Program. This program recognizes companies that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to sustainability, including the use of environmentally responsible materials in cabinetry, as well as minimized environmental impacts realized through recycling wastes and using low-emission coatings.