Green Kitchen and Baths - by Melanie Zak, Jan Merrell Kitchens

With so many products on the market for kitchens and bathrooms today - how do you determine what products are truly "green"? Some key products in a kitchen or bathroom that you can easily go "green" are in your cabinetry and countertops.

Cabinetry:

Although there can be several certifications for cabinetry to be considered "green", the highest standards in the cabinet industry are held by The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA). They have created the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) which is a certification to help cabinet manufacturers indentify to the public their sustainable products and environmental commitment. In order to be ESP certified, companies have to meet certification requirements in all areas of air quality, product and process resource management, environmental stewardship, and community relations. You can see if a cabinet you are considering has an ESP certification by checking out www.greencabinetsource.org.

In addition to choosing a company that has a certification for sustainability, you can go one step further and choose a variety of green-friendly cabinet faces. You can choose an FSC-certified wood which means it is a wood that is harvested from a sustainbly managed forest, or choose a wood that grows at a rapid rate such as Lyptus or Bamboo.

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