June 7, 2019

Where we live – and the methods and products we use to build our homes – can help or hinder the environment. According to the EPA, more than 500 million tons of construction and demolition debris are sent to landfills every year. Once the products are installed, Americans tend to waste more than 180 gallons of water per week and roughly a third of home energy monthly.

Fortunately, kitchen and bath manufacturers are working to make products healthier for the environment and for homeowners. KBB spoke with five such companies to find out what drives their sustainable mission and how their products fulfill those goals.

KBB: Why is sustainability important to your company?

“At Bosch, sustainability and energy efficiency is not only a priority, it has been part of our DNA since Robert Bosch founded the company more than 130 years ago. Nowhere feels more like home than in the kitchen – it’s where friends and families gather to make some of their most cherished memories. It is with that understanding and our commitment to the environment that we design our appliances with the consumer in mind to enhance their quality of life.”

– Anja Prescher, director of brand marketing at Bosch Home Appliances

“MasterBrand prides ourselves on doing the right thing for the environment, our customers and our employees. Being a North American manufacturer of wood and wood-based products, we believe it is important to contribute to a more sustainable future for us all by participating in a voluntary certification, the Environmental Stewardship Program [ESP], designed to encourage cabinet industry policies and practices that benefit and sustain the environment.”

– Stephanie Pierce, director of design and trends at MasterBrand Cabinets

“At Nebia, sustainability is not just a buzzword, it is the basis upon which our company was founded and is central to everything we do. First and foremost, Nebia is about a worldview that our place on this planet is shared. Through our company and the products we create, we hope to change how people interact with water in their daily lives and, in doing so, inspire a generation of people to innovate toward a more sustainable future.”

– Sarah Daisey Clark, social media manager, Nebia

In 2019, Bosch is introducing a reinvented collection of refrigeration units with the Bosch French-Door Bottom-Mount Counter-Depth Collection. The fridge is designed from the ground up to maximize freshness, limit food waste and make it easier to store foods – ultimately helping combat the issue of food waste at the household level.

KBB: How do your products help contribute to a more eco-friendly household?

“Vetrazzo surfaces are built with more than 80 percent recycled materials. It helps households be more eco-friendly since it respects the reduce, reuse and recycle principles. We reduce the quantity of glass ending up in the landfills, and we reuse a material that necessitates a large amount of energy to produce.”

– Jean-Francois Marquis, communications and creative director, Polycor Inc.

“The Nebia Spa Shower was designed with water savings at its core. The average American uses 20 gallons of water in an eight-minute shower. The Nebia Spa Shower establishes an entirely new standard in water usage, reducing water consumption by 65 percent and using just seven gallons of water.”

– Clark, Nebia

“California has some of the country’s most stringent water conservation standards, and as a California company, we take water conservation seriously. To this end, all of our lavatory faucets flow at a rate of 1.2 GPM, a water savings of 1.0 GPM or 45 percent.  Meanwhile, all of our kitchen faucets flow at a rate of 1.8 GPM, a water savings of 0.4 or 18 percent. Moreover, consumers can be assured that as future codes are adopted, our products will adapt and be in compliance.”

– Noah Taft, senior vice president of marketing and sales for California Faucets

The Nebia Spa Shower 2.0 boasts an optimized version of the company’s H2MicroTM fluid and thermal technology, which creates a hotter shower with the feeling of more pressure, while using 65 percent less water than a conventional shower.

KBB: What does your company/factory do to contribute to sustainability?

“From green manufacturing to efficient appliance performance – and even recycling our product when the lifecycle is over – sustainability is woven into every step of the design process. Collecting and separating the production waste in our factories is a matter of course.”

– Prescher, Bosch Home Appliances

“All our cabinetry lines are Carb 2 compliant, meaning they adhere to the lowest and most strict formaldehyde emissions standard of .05 ppm. All wood or wood-based products emit formaldehyde, but the manufacturing process for some companies can greatly increase these emissions. We are taking steps to ensure the air around is healthy and free of carcinogens in all our products.”

– Pierce, MasterBrand Cabinetry

“Our fittings are made of high-quality, solid brass. Unlike faucets made from inferior materials, which ultimately end up in landfills, brass is highly recyclable. PVD (physical vapor deposition) finishes are another, less-expected area in which we excel in sustainability practices. More than a third of our decorative finishes are PVD, and the PVD manufacturing process involves no toxic or ozone-depleting chemicals.”

– Taft, California Faucets

From Vetrazzo, the new land- and sea-inspired Umbo White surface color was designed with pure marble, oyster shell and glass pieces.

KBB: Where do you hope sustainability in the kitchen and bath will go in the near future?

“We believe that companies have the responsibility to make a tangible, positive impact on the world and be profitable while doing so. The kitchen and bath industry has an important role to play in conserving our Earth’s limited resources. In the near future, we hope to see our industry lead the charge in the sustainable use of heat and water in the home.”

– Clark, Nebia

“For the kitchen and bath industry, we hope to see more companies embrace the sustainable development movement. We count on consumers to keep on educating themselves on sustainability and to request more durable material options. We think that we do not need to compromise on aesthetics to include sustainability in kitchen and bath designs. Of course, the key is to reduce, reuse and recycle.”

– Marquis, Polycor

“The building industry has come a long way already, and we hope to see this trend continuing with even more support of eco-conscious green-building methods. A growing audience of builders is learning that the use of California Faucets’ products can help substantially reduce indoor water usage and help projects obtain valuable LEED points.”

– Taft, California Faucets

StyleTherm from California Faucets is Cal-Green compliant and includes a two-outlet diverter that allows it to stay within 2.0 GPM water efficiency and operate up to two applications independently. The Cal-Green latest StyleTherm version still allows exact temperature dial-in and full volume control.

Omega Cabinetry from MasterBrand is a certified brand in the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association Environmental Stewardship Program. This program recognizes companies that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to sustainability, including the use of environmentally responsible materials in cabinetry, as well as minimized environmental impacts realized through recycling wastes and using low-emission coatings.