Tuesday, January 19, 2016
The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s (KCMA) nationally recognized Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) has adopted the EPA SmartWay Freight Transport Sustainability Program as an additional option for participants to receive credit.
In order to qualify to receive points, a cabinet manufacturer must enroll and actively participate in EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership as a registered partner. The freight transport sustainability program is designed to report, track and reduce supply chain carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
KCMA ESP Committee Chairman Carl Webb (Wood-Mode, Inc.) stated that, “The program provides a great means to improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution from the use of trucks to receive materials and distribute finished cabinets. KCMA President Mark Trexler (Master WoodCraft Cabinetry) observed that, “The program will enable participating companies another opportunity to reduce their already small carbon footprint.”
The ESP is based on a point system. Participants have to score in each of five major environmental performance measuring categories that include recycling, use of sustainably grown wood and others. Use of low formaldehyde emitting composite wood (particleboard, plywood and MDF) in order to be certified has been required since 2012. All ESP participants must prove that they use only composite wood that is certified to meet stringent California (CARB) formaldehyde emission requirements.
KCMA Executive Vice President Dick Titus added that considering the fact that most cabinets typically utilize large amounts of wood that contain stored CO2, cabinetry could be described as “carbon storage units” and serve as an added way to help meet the carbon sequestration challenge.
Currently, there are 114 participants in the ESP program whose sales account for close to fifty percent of the U.S. cabinet market.
The KCMA ESP program is the only U.S. environmental certification program for cabinetry that is audited annually by a recognized independent third-party auditing organization.
Tags: EPA smartway freight transport sustainibility program, ESP, KCMA
