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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.
The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association developed this infographic as a quick and easy way to explain how the KCMA Quality Certification Seal can show consumers why they should pick KCMA-certified cabinets. Visit our website to learn more about the ANSI/KCMA A161.1 Quality Certification program.
INDUSTRY NEWS UPDATE AUGUST 21, 2019 It's been anything but a lazy summer for the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association - check out what's been happening in the cabinet industry the last few weeks: REMODELING SPENDING EXPECTED TO SLOW According to the Leading Indicator from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, remodeling activity is declining drastically. Home improvements and repairs are expected to drop from 6.3% this quarter to less than 1% by the second quarter of the next year. The decline may be attributed to the fact that home price appreciation has slowed and isn’t outpacing income growth like it once did in some markets. “Declining home sales and home building activity coupled with slower gains in permitting for improvement projects will put the brakes on remodeling growth over the coming year,” said Chris Herbert, Managing Director for Housing Studies. Click here to read more. ATTRACTING MILLENNIAL AND GEN Z TALENT Th...
This Year's Favorite Cabinet Style is Green Today’s consumers and homeowners are all about living a green lifestyle – one that is aligned with environmental responsibility and sustainability. This is a lifestyle that extends beyond the simple green choices like buying organic produce and recycling. People are looking for opportunities that have a positive impact on the environment. And that’s why more and more of them are looking for the KCMA Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) Seal on their cabinets. The KCMA Environmental Stewardship Program is committed to ensuring that cabinet manufacturing companies are aligned with Green best practices for organizations. The National Green Building Standards (NGBS), an ANSI standard, is the leading green residential building rating system in the United States. NGBS certification ensures that residences are independently verified by a third party for compliance with a comprehensive green standard. KCM...
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