Our Commitment to Green Cabinetry

A better-printing (PDF) version

Building "Green Cabinets" can mean different things to different people. Often our customers are looking for formaldehyde-free cabinets or for those with less 'off-gassing' while others are interested in our environmental-footprint. At Gillingham Cabinets we are committed to a process of continuous improvement in both these areas.

In January 2009, we began using
"low VOC" wood standard in all of our cabinets. 

In January 2010, we cut our
carbon footprint in half.

Formaldehyde-Free Cabinets

No wood product - not even solid wood - is formaldehyde-free, so we use what are called CARB certified wood panels. CARB is a strict standard from the California Air Resource Board that addresses all types of formaldehyde emission in the wood we use. It is more comprehensive and effective than previous "No Added Urea Formaldehyde" types of board construction. This results in significantly improved indoor air quality and more eco-friendly kitchen cabinets.

At Gillingham Cabinets, all of our cabinets are made using CARB certified wood.

Environmental Sustainability and Carbon Footprint

At the end of 2009, we calculated our Carbon Footprint - the first kitchen cabinet company on Vancouver Island to do so.  A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emitted during the course of our operations - from sources like heating and electricity usage, fuel used in the delivery trucks, and even estimating the fuel used by our employees to get to work.

Once we had a clear picture of where our emissions were coming from, we saw ways we could reduce them.  We are thrilled to have been able to cut our carbon footprint by more than half, starting in January 2010.   For more information on how we did that - please see our online announcement or our press release.

To keep input materials to a minimum, our cabinets are made from board that contains 100% recycled fibres, and we use computer software to optimize where the pieces are cut from each sheet of wood.

Green Construction Materials

In addition to cabinets made with low-emissions and 100% recycled wood, we can source materials that have been harvested in compliance with the Forest Stewardship Council's certification for environmental management, and materials that are LEED certified.

Another option that avoids the use of hardwood trees is called "reconstituted veneer." Made from harvested poplar, it offers cabinets that appear to be hardwoods such as maple or cherry, but without using trees from natural forests. Exotic looks like teak, bamboo, and wenge, are possible and environmentally sensitive eco-systems are not compromised.