The furniture, cabinet, and construction industries are coming to grips with how to talk about sustainability to younger generations of homebuyers and owners, so we thought we’d check in with a closet market leader on how they are sharing the benefits of their products and materials.

Brian Dougherty, vice president of sales for ClosetMaid Pro, says as younger generations enter homeownership, greater emphasis is being placed on more sustainable and eco-friendly building materials. 

Q: How do you see the demand for sustainably made closets taking shape now and over the next five years? 

“Consumers are seeking out more information and are becoming more aware of how materials are being sourced, how certain materials contribute to a healthier indoor environment and overall performance and efficiency. This cohort is driving the demand for sustainable materials and will continue to push the industry to meet their expectations with new technologies and materials in home construction.”

Few companies are speaking about the impacts of “product carbon.” Most industries and materials’ sustainability stories focus on “process carbon” or “corporate carbon” – lowering the energy required for resource extraction, transportation, production, and shipping. This is why you hear so much about LED light bulbs, electric vehicles, and switching to hydro or solar power. 

But because ClosetMaid Pro uses composite wood-based materials, they have an added advantage – they can lean into the natural properties of wood and incorporate them into their sustainability story. 

“Wood products offer the unique advantage of storing carbon longer than other manufactured building materials,” says Dougherty. “Being renewable and recyclable adds to the extended use of the material over time.” 

“We’re proud to be aligned with one of the industry’s best domestic wood manufacturers. They emphasize quality and sustainability in manufacturing, with certifications from both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI). For FSC certification, the wood must come from responsibly managed forests that meet FSC standards, regardless of origin. Similarly, AWI certification requires products to comply with stringent quality and environmental standards, which can include both domestic and imported wood, as long as they meet AWI’s guidelines.”

Q: Beyond working with sustainably sourced wood, what other initiatives is ClosetMaid pursuing? 

“Developing long-standing relationships with suppliers is critical to the success of any manufacturer. We continue to value the partnerships we have with our suppliers and work closely on innovations to consider bringing to the market. Cost containment is a unique challenge with respect to sustainable products. Scaling up a new product takes tremendous investment and time to gain traction in the market. 

“Costs are highest at the introduction,” says Dougherty. “As the product is scaled, cost will eventually decrease over time. Given the housing industry’s challenge of affordability, introducing building materials at higher costs only adds to the cost of the home. I anticipate as mortgage rates return to more normalized levels, homebuilders will be more interested in offering sustainable options as their homebuyers become more readily able to absorb the increased cost of a home.”

 Q: What are some initiatives and certifications promoting sustainable practices?

 “For ClosetMaid products, SCS Global Services (an independent 3rd party) has tested and certified our wood melamine products for: Indoor Air Quality – Indoor Advantage Gold Furniture and has certified our ventilated wire shelving for recycled content: Minimum 91% Recycled Content – 4% Pre-Consumer, 87% Post-Consumer.”

 Q: What kind of help would closet companies like to see from their suppliers in this effort? 

“Identifying innovative materials that are lightweight, multi-functional and durable are key factors that can lead to greater production efficiencies. Additionally, suppliers adopting smart manufacturing technologies can ensure precision and customization and ultimately help to minimize waste.”

 Q: How are you communicating your sustainability leadership to the market?

“Primarily through education and awareness campaigns serving the A&D community. ClosetMaid Pro has developed in-depth continuing education courses that speak to the importance of using sustainable materials while optimizing storage in residential projects. 

“Our classes are available on GreenCE.com – the central location for sustainability courses,” says Dougherty. “Additionally, we participate in industry events such as BITAC Sustainability, which connects our team to specifiers looking to source sustainable products for their hospitality projects around the world.”