1st Choice Goes Green

I spoke with John Wilson, one of the owners of 1st Choice Cabinetry, to learn how they’re turning this 16 year old business green.   1st Choice is rapidly shifting its cabinetry business toward green products. They’re doing this because John and his team believe it’s the right thing to do – for their customers, their community and themselves.

John says they spend a lot of their time educating customers to help them understand the benefits of green cabinetry whether it’s for the kitchen or elsewhere. He says very few people realize that cabinets and carpets are typically the largest emitters of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the indoor environment. Exposure to VOCs is thought to be connected with a great many chronic illnesses, so it’s not something to be taken lightly. Since the sixties when particle board became cheaper than plywood it has steadily grown in use becoming the standard in almost all kitchens and household cabinets.  Unfortunately, the binders that hold the particles together are typically laden with formaldehyde and VOCs. And while even natural wood has some VOCs it’s better for your health to minimize exposure to them, especially in the indoor environment where the compounds don’t dissipate rapidly.

So how does 1st Choice deliver a greener cabinet?  They work with manufacturers who use responsible, sustainable processes and materials. Six out of the eight manufacturers they sell are already certified under the Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA), and another is undergoing the process.   Having that ESP certification ensures the manufacturers are using wood products from sustainable forests, low formaldehyde emitting products, and that they recycle and practice energy conservation.

In the assembly process, 1st Choice is using only solid wood or plywood boxes which they wrap in a non-permeable foil to prevent VOCs from off-gassing into the interior air. They also use a variety of sustainable countertop surfaces such as recycled granite, recycled concrete, recycled glass and recycled paper composite materials.  Of course, the appliances they offer are Energy Star rated for better energy efficiency. And they no longer sell Halogen fixtures which contribute too much heat as well as being less efficient. Instead they offer compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), or in some cases light emitting diode fixtures (LEDs) which are breaking into the mainstream. That can add up to significant savings on the electricity bill – not only do they use less energy to produce light, but they put out less heat to load your air conditioning system in summer.

John also says they’re being increasingly demanding of their sub-contractors to walk the sustainability walk along with them. This has proved to be far less challenging than he first thought, and most contractors are excited to play a part. As John says, “it’s the right thing to do.”

1st Choice Cabinetry has a 15,000-square-foot Raleigh showroom at 2620 Westinghouse Boulevard where you can compare green alternatives. For more information call 919-836-8361 or visit their website at www.1stchoicecabinets.com.