| As most homeowners do, we looked at some model | | | | away with all their hardwood cabinets being from NON |
| homes today to get ideas for cabinets. As I toured the | | | | sustainable forestry. |
| house I had forgotten about all the tables, cabinets, | | | | So what is this sticker good for? It's a good thing |
| wood art frames, wood staircases, and all the | | | | because it tries through advocacy to promote |
| ornamental wood products that make up a new and | | | | sustainable forestry and woodworking. It's a good thing |
| furnished house. As we walked around the model | | | | that consumers are looking for it when they buy |
| home, my young 14 month old was looking into some | | | | cabinets. It's a good thing that producers are aware |
| of the cabinets, as he loves to play with the doors. | | | | that consumers want to be green and don't want to |
| Inside I see a green tree sticker, with an official stamp. I | | | | destroy the earth. |
| first think maybe it's made from FSC wood, but the | | | | The bad thing is this. It gives the consumer piece of |
| sticker is different. It was the KCMA ESP sticker. | | | | mind, when really it should not. You feel better with the |
| I had to do some reading on this, because I feared it | | | | little green seal, you don't get as upset when you hear |
| was a sticker that meant little in the way of | | | | that America and other places are running out of |
| "Environmental Stewardship". My fears where correct. | | | | forests, because you bought sustainable cabinets. The |
| This is a certification that cabinet makers get by "self | | | | fact is you may have been better off buying cabinets |
| certifying" themselves as being certified! They just fill | | | | from anyone. The fact is few cabinet makers can |
| out forms and send them back. . .no audit even! How | | | | track all the sources of their lumber, and only is |
| can you have a certification without an audit? The | | | | pressure from consumers starting to get the idea that |
| sticker is the reward of the certification that they have | | | | it is something that needs to be done. But it's far from |
| done several things to meet the goals of | | | | there, according to cabinet makers, they usually get |
| environmental stewardship. | | | | little if any requests for "green or sustainable cabinets". |
| The goals of the ESP certification focus around five | | | | If they don't get the requests, then why should they |
| categories: | | | | bother? |
| Air Quality. | | | | What can you do? Ask for certified wood products in |
| Resource Management - product. | | | | your next home or project. There is also the option of |
| Resource Management - process. | | | | salvaged cabinets or reclaimed cabinets. Alternatives |
| Environmental stewardship | | | | exist other than wood. Wheat-board cabinets are one |
| Community relations. | | | | option. . .they are made from waste straw but I really |
| Unfortunately a cabinet maker can become certified | | | | wonder if all the machines and glue used to make the |
| while still using hardwoods that are from anywhere on | | | | wood creates less of a footprint than FSC certified |
| Earth. Using the point system, a factory can still get | | | | wood. |