Green Cabinet Options for Your Kitchen Remodel

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You know what they say…if there is one room to remodel in your home, it should be your kitchen. A kitchen remodeling project is an excellent opportunity to add green features and fixtures to your kitchen. You should definitely choose green (not necessarily the color, but that’s your choice) cabinets for your kitchen. The cabinets most of us are accustomed to are made of unsustainable harvested wood, as well as synthetic and composite materials. Formaldehyde and glue adhesives that release toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are normally used in your typical cabinetry. More than that, the edge banding on cabinet boxes and drawers normally use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which releases chloride.
Fortunately, you don’t have to stick with a toxic kitchen. There are green cabinet options, such as FSC-certified wood, bamboo, which is a durable, renewable material, and also formaldehyde-free glues, resins, and adhesives. When choosing your green cabinets, be sure to look at environmentally-friendly wood options like bamboo, lyptus, and veneers. Cabinets made of wheat board composites (made of wheat and straw) or wheat chaff waste are great options. Of course, be sure to choose formaldehyde-free materials, low-VOC glues, adhesives, and finishes (e.g., clear, water-based finishes, renewable natural oil, hard-wax finishes, low-VOC paint finishes).