GreenOptions.com, an eco-focused Web site that is devoted to practical news and do-it-yourself ideas on environmental issues, recently featured an article titled "Remodel Your Kitchen the Great Green Way-it's healthy, sustainable and gorgeous!" Therein, the author argued against remodeling a kitchen the "normal way" in favor of using non-standard makeover materials that do not over-consume resources or contain toxic chemicals.
For the homeowner sho is looking to stay green with their kitchen update, the first step in achieving that endeavor is choosing kitchen cabinets that are environmentally friendly. And the precursor to that step is finding a kitchen cabinetry provider that is "skilled in working with sustainable materials and knows how to build in an eco-friendly manner," the article stresses.
What specifically should you be looking for in a kitchen cabinet manufacturer? From sourcing and manufacturing to finishing and shipping, think the three Rs:
1. Reducing environmental impact-"Many of the chemicals used [in today's kitchen cabinets] can be cancer-causing and can offgas into your home for years," Green Options cautions.
2. Reusing as much material as possible-"Use reclaimed wood, or formaldehyde-free pressed fiberboard," the Web site recommends."
3. Recycling materials-"You can also go the 'new but sustainable route' with cabinets." When doing so, look for kitchen cabinetry manufacturers that "offer low- or no-VOC finishes," the article's author suggests.
The whole "go green" movement is bringing out an ever-growing crop of eco-friendly cabinetry providers, but you can entrust the same environmental awareness to a kitchen cabinet provider with a longstanding reputation for excellence ... if you know what to look for. Here are some tips:
An environmentally attentive kitchen cabinet manufacturer will use sophisticated technology and will purchase wood products in optimum dimensions, thereby enabling it to attain the highest yield possible from every raw material board. As Ben Franklin warned, "Waste not, want not."
As Green Options pointed out, eco-aware cabinetry providers use environmentally preferable product (EEP particle board) with a percentage of recycled material, they do not add formaldehyde during their manufacturing process, and they reduce the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in their building materials.
What goes in must come out ... but what comes out doesn't go straight to the landfill. A reputable green cabinetry provider will recycle, recycle, recyle everything from the returned kitchen cabinets, to the sawdust for use in other products like composite decking, to the finish material, all in a concentrated effort to drastically reduce waste.
Finally, you'll know that a kitchen cabinet manufacturer is serious about protecting the environment when it considers tomorrow's world today. Choose wisely. Opt for a kitchen cabinetry provider that not only assures you a better long-term investment in quality, style and functionality but also demonstrates environmental stewardship.
That means the company strives to do the right thing for not only the environment but also its customers and its employees. An truly eco-conscious kitchen cabinet manufacturer continually improves and advances its processes and products not for its own sake but because it's the right thing to do. After all, isn't that the type of kitchen remodeling project you can feel good about for years to come?
Visit http://www.KraftMaid.com for help and tips on planning your kitchen remodeling project.
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