It’s all about going green these days.  In the world of cabinetry,  going green is usually about how the cabinets are manufactured,  rather than the materials that the cabinets are made from.

Even though we usually think of products such as bamboo as green because they are considered sustainable,  we don’t grow bamboo here in the U.S.,  so it has to be shipped from overseas.  So how green is that,  really?

Take Signature Custom Cabinetry,  for example.  To start with,  part of their mission is  “ . . . to be an asset & positive influence in our community . . .”.  One way that they do that is by being sensitive to environmental issues.

Here’s what Signature has to say about their commitment to the environment:

“We are committed to maintaining the health of our environment. Proper disposal of cabinet finishing by-products is one way we can help to accomplish this. Over the years we have partnered with environmental services to assist us in this endeavor.

We are reducing the amount of material requiring disposal, even while production volumes increase. This is not the result of government regulation.  Rather,  we do it because it’s the right thing to do as stewards of the environment we have been entrusted with.”

They do this by using a solvent recycling system, and reducing the VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that are emitted during their finishing process.  Additionally,  they have worked with their largest supplier to reduce the amount of materials packaging,  and they recycled neary 40 tons of cardboard last year.

Even that’s not enough for Signature.  They are donating the sawdust that is created during the manufacturing process to local farmers to be used as bedding for their livestock,  and wood scrap is given to a local nursery which uses it to heat their greenhouses.

By building durable products that will last for a long time,  Signature helps avoid the waste from poorly constructed cabinetry that must be replaced more often and thus adding to landfills.

They also support sustainable forestry initiatives and use Forestry Stewardship Council certified hardwoods.

All of these efforts by Signature to support a healthy environment make me proud to offer their products.  And we’re supporting those efforts locally as well,  by recycling here in the showroom.  If everyone does their part,  we can make a big impact on the environment.  We owe it to Mother Nature,  she’s been good to us!

 

This entry was posted in Cabinetry on April 27, 2012 by THblog.