Cabinet Buying Guide
A quick guide to strategic product selection
Before buying new cabinets, consider re-using your old cabinets in a creative way or purchasing cabinets that have been reclaimed from a construction site. Reusing product instead of buying new product is the best way to reduce the environmental and economic impacts associated with new product consumption.
Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) Seal
The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association's Environmental Stewardship Program identifies cabinet manufacturers that demonstrate a commitment to environmental sustainability. The seal will help you identify cabinets and cabinet manufacturers who are committed to protecting the environment.
Nearly 120 cabinet manufacturers have already earned ESP certification and more are on their way to completing the review process. Click here to see a list of these manufacturers.
ESP holds the cabinet industry to higher standards than other environmental programs because of its holistic approach to manufacturing, examining the process from growth and harvesting of raw materials to manufacturing the end product. ESP’s criteria includes:
Air Quality
- 75% of particleboard, medium density fiberboard, and plywood used in the cabinets must meet the formaldehyde emission level of the California Air Resources Compwood ATCM and must be third-party certified to meet low formaldehyde emission standards
- 75% of hardboard used in the cabinets must be third-party certified to meet low formaldehyde standards
- 75% of cabinets must be finished domestically; finishes emit no greater hazardous air pollutants than allowed by local plant operating permits
Product Resource Management
- 75% of particleboard, medium density fiberboard, and hardboard used in cabinets must contain 100% recycled or recovered fiber content
- Manufacturers utilize an annual, written training plan to educate their hardwood suppliers of their preference for purchasing certified lumber
- Hardwoods, softwoods and plywood purchased are certified through a recognized sustainable forestry program
Process Resource Management
- Manufacturer has a comprehensive recycling program for process wastes
- Manufacturer has a program for tracking and reducing process wastes with documented goals and reports
- Manufacturer uses process by-products to generate alternative energy
- Manufacturer has a documented energy conservation program
Environmental Stewardship
- Manufacturer is required to have a written policy stating a firm commitment to environmental quality
- Manufacturer has an Environmental Management System
- Manufacturer reviews environmental practices and policies of its key vendors and contractors
- Manufacturer has a documented program that promotes the use of renewable/recycled materials
Community Relations
- Manufacturer demonstrates community involvement and leadership through service or charitable organizations
- Manufacturer observes all federal, state, and local environmental requirements
ESP points are awarded for meeting each of these criteria. Manufacturers must earn at least 80 of a possible 105 points and must earn points from each category to be certified.
Low-impact materials
Consider using rapidly renewable resources like bamboo; sustainably harvested wood or material that contains pre- and/or post-consumer recycled material for your cabinets, which will have less of an impact on the environment than other products.
- Pre- and/or or post-consumer recycled content: many cabinets are available in a material that uses pre- and/or post-consumer recycled content (often available in some kind of wood-fiber particleboard blend). This reduces the environmental impact of your new cabinet installation by utilizing materials that would otherwise be placed in a landfill and not using virgin material like trees. Purchasing cabinets with the ESP seal will assist you in this effort.
- Bamboo: bamboo is considered a rapidly renewable resource because it can fully re-generate without seeding within 3-6 years.
- Sustainably harvested wood: see our Lumber Buying Guide for details.
VOC and formaldehyde-free
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that can become a gas at room temperature, some of which have short and long term health risks. One of the most common and dangerous VOCs is formaldehyde, which is used as an adhesive, bonding agent and solvent.
Formaldehyde is produced on a large scale worldwide. One major use includes the production of wood binding adhesives and resins. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently evaluated formaldehyde exposure in California and found that one of the major sources of exposure is from inhalation of formaldehyde emitted from composite wood products containing urea-formaldehyde resins.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified formaldehyde from "probably carcinogenic to humans" to "carcinogenic to humans" in 2004, based on the increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancer. Formaldehyde was also designated as a toxic air contaminant (TAC) in California in 1992 with no safe level of exposure. State law requires the CARB to take action to reduce human exposure to all TACs.
Accordingly, staff of the CARB conducted a formal rulemaking process to address formaldehyde exposure from composite wood products. On April 26, 2007, ARB approved an airborne toxic control measure (ATCM) to reduce formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products, including hardwood plywood, particleboard, medium density fiberboard, thin medium density fiberboard (thickness ≤ 8mm), and also furniture and other finished products made with composite wood products.
► When purchasing composite wood products like plywood, particleboard and MDF, ensure that you specify that the product is free from formaldehyde, especially urea-formaldehyde.
Buy local
Look for a cabinet-maker or manufacturer that is within 500 miles of your home. This reduces the amount of resources used to transport the cabinets to your house.
Questions? Feedback?
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