Cabinets represent the largest kitchen component. Health-adverse elements in cupboards can come with lower-grade boxes made with off-gassing glues and binders. Unless your cabinets are custom fabricated, you will have little control over the particleboard or plywood used. Some brands use finishes with low to no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The Bellmont Cabinet Company offers a 3/4-in. birch, 11-ply plywood with a UV-cured clear topcoat, and Eco-Core, maple melamine bonded to 3/4-in. particleboard that contains no-added formaldehyde and Forest Steward Council (FSC)-certified mixed-content wood particles. Bellmont is a certified member of the Environmental Stewardship Program, which is administered by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. The company’s website has a link to a list of distributors, and you can also find their cabinets at the Factory Builder Stores.

Bellmont offers 60 door styles and many storage solutions with its 1900 Series, dubbed “endless styles and options.” Among the options, cabinet surfaces are made with anti-bacterial properties that attract microbes and block their cell reproduction to prevent mold growth. Image from manufacturer’s gallery.

For a straightforward way to identify green cabinetry, look for the KCMA ESP Seal, the…