Green Cabinetry made in the USA.

Your Home. Our Planet.

 Our cabinets are ESP certified, but what does that mean?

In 2006, the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (www.kcma.org) began certifying cabinet manufacturers who prove they are using sustainable practices and products. Certification must be earned yearly.

Green cabinetry ESP certification is awarded to manufacturers who use materials with low formaldehyde emissions, use recycled materials, and use hardwoods certified through a recognized sustainable forestry program.

ESP requires manufacturers to have a written environmental policy and to work with their suppliers to protect the environment.

Why should I trust ESP?

In 2009, the strictest emission standards for formaldehyde went into effect, and StarMark. Mid Continent and 6 Square meet that standard.

Unlike other certification programs, ESP takes into account the complete life cycle of a product. ESP requires recycling and energy conservation.

Unlike many other certification programs, ESP encourages local community involvement.

Find out more about ESP at www.greencabinetsource.org. KCMA has proven their ability to set and enforce rigorous standards as verified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Our Cabinetry is CARB compliant, but what does that mean?

   In technical terms, this means 100% of a cabinetry's products are compliant with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) to reduce formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products including hardwood plywood (HWPW), medium density fiberboard (MDF), and particle board (PB)(Title 17, California Code of Regulations).

In laymen's terms, it means that our cabinets comply with the nation's strictest regulations regarding formaldehyde.

CARB compliance coupled with its ESP certification assures that your cabinetry is manufactured by an environmentally responsible company with environmentally friendly manufacturing materials and processes.

What material do our manufacturers use to make their cabinets?

Our cabinetry is created with quality hardwoods: oak, maple, cherry, hickory and alder.

For the past forty years, American hardwood new growth has exceeded its harvest—it is sustainable. Besides supplying wood to create long lasting—not disposable—cabinets, sustainable forests benefit our environment. There is zero depletion of forest land as a resource, and low and fully recoverable impact on habitats and ecosystems. A sustainable forest has a positive impact on “greenhouse” gases, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

Many homeowners are surprised to find out wood is one of the greenest construction materials. If you compare the energy needed to extract, manufacture and transport construction material, brick uses four times the energy of wood; concrete, five times; plastic, six times; and aluminum, 126 times!

StarMark Cabinetry goes even further!

StarMark Cabinetry also uses Lyptus. Lyptus comes from non-tropical, certified plantations from fast-growing eucalyptus trees that are ready to be harvested within 14 to 16 years of planting.

StarMark Exotic Veneers—Bamboo, Rosewood, Wenge—each have a core that’s certified NAUF—no added urea formaldehyde. On top of each veneer is a water-based—not acrylic based—top coat. To create the bamboo veneer, bamboo is steamed (caramelized) to create a rich tone. The rosewood and wenge are created from renewable plantation hardwoods. No endangered trees are in harm’s way to create these exotic looks!

What materials does StarMark recycle?

StarMark Cabinetry recycles cardboard, paper and electronics and also items not usually thought of as recyclable, such as forklift batteries, coolant and shop lights. Wood scrap and dust is used to generate energy in ethanol plants. Shelves for cabinets are made in part from recycled wood.

Our Continuous Improvement Teams are the ultimate green movement.

These days, reducing waste is called “eco-awareness”. We’ve always just called it common sense. When you build something right the first time, there’s not much waste to worry about.

StarMark Cabinetry excels at getting it right the first time. Ask the kitchen designers who specify our cabinets, and ask the homeowners across the nation who have a StarMark kitchen.

The credit for our quality goes to our employees. Our Continuous Improvement teams pinpoint the reasons for errors and then solve them. It’s not flashy. Just wise.