If you are in the market for new kitchen cabinets and would like to make as “green” a choice as possible, the good news is that it is getting easier all the time. With more manufacturers turning out increasingly greener products, and the choices keep improving—in both style and price.

It’s also pretty easy to identify green cabinets; the list of specific features to look for is short and, usually, clear cut.

Here are the most important things to look for.

Low or No Formaldehyde

Urea formaldehyde has been used in adhesives that are found in a wide variety of wood and wood-based products for many years. Although low levels of formaldehyde may not pose a threat, the substance has been identified as a human carcinogen by the World Health Organization, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed strict limits on occupational exposure, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends limiting your exposure in the home and it has been banned from use in furniture by the European Union for several years.

Additionally, California has imposed limitations on the amount of formaldehyde that can be used in composite wood products such as particleboard, plywood, and medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Through its Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP), the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, a trade association, requires kitchen cabinets to meet this new California standard to receive ESP certification.

Cabinets do not have to be free of formaldehyde to be certified, however, so if you want to avoid the substance entirely you will need to look for formaldehyde-free products.

Currently, 149 companies have been certified by the ESP. The full list can be found at this site.

Some people are much more sensitive to formaldehyde exposure than others. Symptoms can include watery eyes; burning sensation in the eyes, nose and throat; coughing; nausea; and skin irritation.

Low VOC Finishes

Green cabinets should also have low-VOC finishes. These can include paints, stains, natural oil finishes and waterborne clear finishes that release few volatile organic compounds into the environment.

Sustainable Materials

One way to cut down on the need for adhesives is to use solid wood, and a good way to ensure that you are getting responsibly grown and harvested wood is to look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
Green materials other solid wood include bamboo, wheat board and formaldehyde-free plywood and MDF.

Durable Construction

An often-overlooked component of green products is durability: How long will they last before needing to be disposed of and replaced? Good quality cabinets should be able to provide at least 20 years of solid service. Poorly constructed products made from environmentally friendly materials are hard to call "green."
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