Recent research from the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) perfectly illustrates a major opportunity for kitchens, closets, and wood-based furniture and millwork manufacturers. 

The report “Sustainability in Kitchen and Bath Design” said that: 

• Demand for sustainable kitchens has been on the rise for last two years. Designers expect it to accelerate and become a “must-have” feature. 
• Designers believe they have a responsibility to help educate consumers. 
• 60% of NKBA members surveyed say information on sustainable design is lacking.
• The sustainable, climate-positive benefits of wood-based materials are NOT part of the conversation…because designers just don’t know our story.

On that last point, when talking about sustainable kitchens, the only tools designers have are: 

• Low-flow plumbing
• Energy-efficient appliances 
• LED lighting

When materials come up at all, it’s only in the context of avoiding toxic materials, paints, and stains. 

The NKBA research also points to the widely held assumption that sustainable products cost more, are less durable or functional, and are less attractive. This “rule” doesn’t apply to wood-based cabinetry…but sadly, few designers are equipped to make this case for our materials. 

Sustainability leadership

Our wood-based products industry has a unique opportunity to “own” the conversation about sustainability when talking to designers and specifiers like those in the NKBA survey. 

Wood is by far the most sustainable building material available for several reasons: 

• It’s an infinitely renewable resource.
• Wood products require less energy than any other material to manufacture.
• 50% of the dry weight of wood is stored carbon, whether it’s solid or composite.
• Wood products store up to 40% more carbon than is released in making them. 
• Composite wood panels like particleboard and MDF make use of forest fiber that was once burned or landfilled.  

[If you’d like a deeper dive into the science behind wood’s climate-positive properties, check out the “Waste Wood Made Good” feature archived on the Woodworking Network website.]

Whether you make cabinet doors, whole kitchens, or closet systems, this is the story you should be helping your design customers tell. The best part: It doesn’t require you to change your production, your vendors, or your design! 

We’ve reached out to a few key producers and suppliers to understand what they’re hearing, and how they’re responding to sustainability questions. Here are their responses.

Green before it was cool

Sauder Building Products has noticed a significant uptick in requests for sustainability information from both residential and commercial customers. 

“Before our industry even started thinking about the term ‘sustainability,’ it was more about just doing the right thing,” said Jonathan Zublena, executive vice president of Sauder Building Products. “Our founder, Erie Sauder, decided that rather than burning the small pieces solid cherry left over from building church pews, he’d start making side tables and other small pieces of furniture from it.

“It has superior surface performance, is easy to laminate and has enough flex and strength to allow us to do mitre folding. It gives us performance closer to TFL and is considered more environmentally responsible than PVC. It’s still in its infancy, but we see PP materials as a way to incorporate a wider range of quality designs, increase water resistance, make cleaning easier, and, of course, offer a more durable surface for a longer life.”

Being sustainable is good business

“Wood-Mode was living out sustainable practices decades before ‘green’ became a trending word,” said general manager Rod Hunter. “Our legacy was built with great respect for the environment. We’ve taken that belief and amplified it to meet and, in some cases, even exceed today’s standards for energy-efficient manufacturing. The enhancements we’ve made enable us to reduce overall emissions, conserve resources, and lower operational costs.

“Our practices have enabled Wood-Mode to be certified by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) for meeting the standards of its stringent Environmental Stewardship Program, including compliance with air quality, product resource management, environmental stewardship, and community relations.”

Hardware has a role

“Quality materials and functional hardware can significantly extend a kitchen’s lifespan,” said Debbie Cannon, vice president of marketing at Blum Inc. “Doors, drawers, and lifts should operate as smoothly in 10 or 15 years as they did on day one. As products become more similar, quality becomes the key differentiator. That’s why true, high-quality functional products exceed industry standards — they’re built to last a lifetime.”

This is just a tiny sample of industry leaders working to build a “green” story for their products and markets. The key here is, whether you sell kitchens or closets, fabricate components, or supply finishes and hardware, we all need to be sharing the same climate-positive advantages of wood materials. This is the only way we can help designers answer the questions they’re increasingly hearing from consumers. 

I’m working with Woodworking Network to help producers and suppliers better understand the advantages they already have. If you’d like to know more, please contact me at [email protected].