Maple + Marble logo featuring a stylized "M" with gold and white marble textures on the left, and the words "MAPLE + MARBLE CABINETS + INTERIORS" in white on the right.
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Sustainable
Design

Modern kitchen with dark wood cabinets, white marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a sink island. Large window offers a city view and brings in natural light. Green plants and decor accent the space.

As a cabinetry design studio that specializes in designing spaces that are specific to the homeowner and meant to last, we tend to shy away from trends. Although trends are important, we don’t want our clients to feel like they need to redo their kitchen every time a trend changes. However, a trend we can definitely get behind is sustainability! The demand for sustainable consumer goods is on the rise, with 3 out of 5 consumers saying socially responsible or sustainable products made up at least half of their purchases*. And we feel like, because of where we live, that demand is even more prevalent, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! As a company, we have always strived to make choices with sustainability and environmental stewardship in mind which means we don’t need to make any changes to meet this demand, we are here with our arms wide open, ready to help you through the process of creating a new sustainable space!

Below are so many different ways to include sustainability in your next project that it might be a little overwhelming! Don’t worry, we can help discuss with you the options relevant to your project.

Shopping Local for Your Sustainable Kitchen

The first and, we think, the easiest way to be sustainable, in any industry, is to shop locally. Shopping local checks a few items off the list:

  1. You’re keeping your money in your community which means the taxes are going to local jurisdictions. With that, you’re helping to pay employees who will then spend their money, hopefully, locally and the circle just keeps on going.
  2. When you’re able to purchase items that are manufactured locally, it ensures that the items that you’re purchasing don’t have to be hauled all over the place adding to the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) currently destroying our atmosphere.

Sure, you may be able to save money if you purchase products made in other countries, but remember, you get what you pay for. The products don’t generally last, at least where kitchen and bath products are concerned, so you’ll end up spending more and causing more waste.

We pride ourselves in working with manufacturers from WA state and North America. Our primary indoor cabinetry manufacturers are family-owned businesses in Sumner, WA and Vancouver, WA. One company, Bellmont Cabinet Co., ships all over the country and the other, DeWil’s Fine Cabinetry, ships internationally but we are lucky to have them here in our backyard. Our outdoor cabinetry is manufactured about 5 hours away in Canada. When your cabinetry is ready to ship, at most it takes 5 hours to get to your home, as opposed to others that are coming from the Midwest, East Coast or even overseas!

Our undercabinet lighting and most of our cabinet hardware are manufactured here in the United States. Along with that we have two countertop manufacturers who operate in the United States and other manufacturers who are manufacturing some products here but are working towards shifting more of those processes to the US.

Not only does shopping local reduce or eliminate a lot of the CO2 emissions but you generally find more sustainability practices with local manufacturers as well.

Let’s talk about DeWil’s out of Vancouver, WA. Not only do they purchase products that are as clean as they can be, such as, exterior grade plywood with soy-based glues, but they also want to ensure they keep their employees and the environment safe. DeWils was the first North American Cabinetry Manufacturer to be 4 star certified in Japan! This is the highest level of certification and speaks specifically to the top formaldehyde emission grade for all the products used in manufacturing. This means their products emit low to no VOCs. All of our manufacturers have similar sustainability initiatives with strict waste reductions plans, low or no VOC finishes, energy efficiency programs, and so much more.

Another great way to keep things local, is to donate your discarded items so they can be repurposed. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity will take used cabinetry, countertops, sinks and more to sell at low cost in their “restore” locations. This allows others to repurpose your products rather than taking them to a landfill somewhere.

When you shop local, you are buying from companies and people who are thinking about your community, and keeping in mind how they may limit their impact on our environment. Others generally don’t care about your community and your environment.

The image features the word "DeWils" written in elegant, cursive white script on a light gray background.
Logo for Bellmont Cabinet Co. The word "BELLMONT" is in bold white uppercase letters inside an orange rectangular border, with "CABINET CO." in smaller white letters beneath on a light gray background.

Choosing Sustainable Products and Materials for Your Remodel

A person installs a pull-out trash bin drawer in a white kitchen under construction, surrounded by white cabinets and construction materials.

Another way to shop sustainably is to look at the products, materials, and manufacturing methods used.

When it comes to manufacturing, look for vendors with strong sustainability initiatives. Try to find out if it is a marketing ploy or if it’s truly part of their culture. Even if you cannot talk to the manufacturer directly, talk to a local dealer. Our manufacturers invite us to their facilities for trainings and tours. We can speak to our own experiences seeing the manufacturers box up scrap wood which is then donated to a local nonprofit that helps low-income families keep warm during the winter. Other manufacturers may just be throwing that stuff in a dumpster.

In addition to their sustainability methods, what about the products being used? Are the glues soy based or full of formaldehyde? How about the paints or finishes? You want Low or no VOCs there. Think about your appliances, are they Energy Star certified? What about your lighting? Does your home still use incandescent bulbs? Are the manufacturers using recycled products? For example, Bellmont Cabinet Co. from Sumner, WA offers two materials for their cabinet box construction. They offer plywood or an MDF product that’s made from 100% recycled materials. Other companies will offer a recycled product as a costly upgrade.

Sometimes manufacturers will list certifications on their website, this is an easy way to make sure that their products are as clean as possible. In the cabinet industry there are a few certifications available that I will explain in a moment, but I want to say that if a company doesn’t have a certification, it doesn’t mean they are not compliant, some choose not the pay the hefty fees involved but still ensure they are meeting the standard. So, it is up to you to do your homework or talk to a local dealer who can answer those questions.

  • KCMA Quality Certification Seal which tests for four things: Structural, Drawers and Drawer mechanisms, Door Operation and lastly, that the finish holds up to normal kitchen conditions.
  • Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) which was developed to encourage practices that benefit both the environment and the communities served by cabinet manufacturers. Bellmont Cabinet Co, Sumner, WA maintains this certification!
  • CARB Compliancy- This is required for any manufacturer shipping to or manufacturing in California. This regulation is the most stringent in the country.
  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forestry Institute (SFI)- This isn’t necessarily a certification for the manufacturer but a certification for the suppliers of hardwoods. Make sure manufacturers of wood products are buying from suppliers who are certified with one of these.
  • SFI- Certified make sure your manufacturers are purchasing packaging materials that are SFI certified which means they are manufacturing paper products from sustainably managed forests.

When it comes to countertops you have many ways to be ecofriendly. Such as choosing a US manufacturer such as Cambria or Viatera by LG Hausys reducing the carbon footprint. Choose quartz manufacturers that use recycled glass, quarry stone waste, or have zero carb production facilities such as Silestone. Natural stone, which is taken out of the ground does not have any products in it that are bad for the environment, but it is non-renewable. If you are looking for wood countertops, then reclaimed lumber may be right for you!

Sustainable Design Elements to Incorporate in Your Home

A wooden kitchen cabinet with a tall pull-out pantry is open, revealing neatly organized shelves stocked with assorted food items, jars, condiments, and bottles. The kitchen has wood floors and adjacent dining furniture.

Another way to support sustainability is to use certain design elements that support sustainable and environmentally friendly living. For example:

Built-in Recycling and Composting Solutions

In our kitchen designs we almost always include a cabinet that contains two cans, one for trash and the other for recycling. In some households, there is a third or even fourth for compost. This is an easy, hidden recycling solution that makes designs more seamless, integrated, and functional.

If there’s room, we try to incorporate a trash/recycling cabinet in the laundry room as well.

Timeless Design Choices for Long-Lasting Homes

Steer away from trends and make choices that can be timeless. Part of sustainability is longevity; you want your cabinetry to be able to be adapted down the road rather than replaced. Additionally, saving money on the front end may cost you money and add to the waste stream, when purchasing low quality, cheap products you’ll need to replace them much sooner than investing in quality, well made products.

Using Salvaged Materials in Your Remodel

A unique design element would be to use salvaged materials, and one of our favorite ways to do that is to incorporate reclaimed lumber into wood countertops. You can also reuse items such as that stainless steel sink rather than purchase a new one.

Functional Kitchen Design to Reduce Food Waste

You need to have an efficient functional design! Have you ever gone through a pantry or cabinet and found expired cans or boxed foods? We don’t want that for our clients so we design your space to be functional and to ensure that everything is accessible and easy to get to so you can easily see what you have (and don’t) before you buy more! Resulting in less food waste and a more functional space.

Energy-Efficient Appliances and Fixtures for an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

Look for Energy-efficient kitchen lighting, fixtures, and appliances. Did you know Boiling Water taps save water and electricity? Do you have a small one- or two-person household? A dishwasher drawer is a more economic way to do small loads rather than running a small load in a full-sized dishwasher.

Natural and LED Lighting Options for Sustainable Rooms

When possible, opt for natural lighting sources such as skylights, windows, solar tubes, or glass doors. We know that’s not always possible here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest so if needed swap your old bulbs with LED lighting options. LED lighting lasts 25 times longer and is 75-80% more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs. When needed, a great way to incorporate additional lighting would be to utilize a under cabinet lighting system. We use TASK Lighting, which is not only manufactured in the United States, but also uses only LED lights. Not only is LED lighting saving you on your energy bill, but LED lights don’t admit additional heat like an incandescent bulb, so you save on your cooling costs as well.

Adding Plants to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Indoor plants consume carbon dioxide and help filter out other toxins, improving your air quality; opt for low-maintenance options such as succulents or cacti.

Choosing Eco-Friendly Finishes and Materials

When it comes to paints and stains, look for low to no-VOC finishes and even better look for plastic free paints. Generally, paints are filled with microplastics which get rinsed off your brush, down your drain and eventually into our oceans!

When thinking of woods, Bamboo is the most sustainable choice for cabinetry is it’s fast growing and easy to harvest. Bamboo and Cork are great options for flooring as well.

Get a Free Energy Inspection to Identify Areas for Improvement

See if your local utility provider will offer a free energy inspection, they can help identify if you’re losing heat and wasting electricity so you can repair or replace those items. One quick fix is to look at your windows and doors, to make sure they are insulated. A single pane window is not insulated causing you to use more electricity than necessary.

Wrapping Up

In summary, it’s super easy to make sustainable choices with your kitchen remodel, by incorporating even one of these items you’re doing your part to help. Whether you choose to shop locally, use sustainable materials and products, or incorporate sustainable design practices, there are many different ways we can work together to create a more sustainable world. Take five minutes tonight to look at your home and evaluate just how many ways you are contributing, or not, to being a more sustainable household. Even the simplest task like recycling can make an impact on our community. If you have a few more minutes you can head to the EPA weblink below and calculate your carbon footprint! Either way give us a call to schedule a time to discuss your new sustainable kitchen with one of our designers!

Carbon Footprint Calculator | Climate Change | US EPA

*February 2022 IBM Institute for Business Value Survey of 16,000 global customers.