The Materials Make the Difference

Awareness of the consequences of the materials with which our homes are built is growing - and you have to take the first step toward making choices that are easier on the environment and healthier for you and your family. Looking at what materials are used for your cabinetry is perfect and logical place to start.

Don Pettit of Earthwise Cabinetry and WNT Design began solving environmental problems long before more people were even aware there were problems. Fifteen years ago he had a client who had health issues and could not live with formaldehyde. Back then the only option was to build the cabinets out of solid wood but today there are more green alternatives like PureBond® hardwood plywood with formaldehyde-free technology.

Earthwise Cabinetry and WNT Design take pride in the eight years of research that has gone into developing some of the greenest cabinets and millwork you can find. Whether your project is going for LEED® certification or you just want the best for your family's health, Earthwise Cabinetry and WNT Design have the right solutions for you.

In their geographic area (the North bay just above San Francisco) Earthwise and WNT were the first to use the materials that are today considered the sustainable standards. They pioneered the use of bamboo and formaldehyde free plywood and other materials and they, in turn, showed other shops how to use these materials. Pettit explains "Now with CARB it's changed the way we look at materials. It's sort of like lead paint, we found out it was bad and then people stopped using it and it went away. The same thing is happening with formaldehyde and wood products."

We have learned about the issues with materials and we have developed fabrication techniques that make the best use of these materials, maximizing their natural qualities. We stock a wide range of materials including Columbia's PureBond® plywood, FSC-certified wood and veneers, rapidly growing and plantation species such as eucalyptus, beech, bamboo, and Pacific albus, reconstituted veneer products and alternative wood products.

One of the best indicators as to how green our cabinets are is to look at how much of our company's waste is getting recycled by the county. They will only accept materials that meet certain narrow criteria and our trash bills have been going way down because they are actually re-using what we can't.

Earthwise Cabinetry and WNT Design have been servicing the Residential, Commercial and Hospitality markets for more than 30 years. Their solutions are proven and they are very transparent about all they do. The Our Process section of their website gives perhaps the most thorough explanation of what it takes to make a good cabinet and how every single part is a separate consideration that only adds to the whole.

Earthwise Cabinetry was featured in the book Good Green Kitchens written by Jennifer Roberts. They have worked on several LEED accredited projects and they are listed in several regional Green Guides.