Green

• Renewable Resources  
• Indoor Air Quality  
• Safe Cement and Glues  
• Recycling  
• Growing Greener  

A keener home is a Greener Home

We want you to feel good about your Keener kitchen, and you can – aesthetically and environmentally -- thanks to the responsible thinking and practices at Keener Kitchen Manufacturing Company, Inc.

At Keener, efforts to minimize our environmental footprint began many years ago when we established three simple, but powerful, operating principles:

• Keener will embrace manufacturing processes that maximize renewable natural resources and reduce environmental impact
• Keener will provide exceptionally durable, high-quality products that contribute to a healthy indoor environment
• Keener will recycle and use recycled materials whenever possible

Renewable Resources

Forest-based industries have a choice when it comes to wood, and Keener chooses to work with suppliers who harvest trees from managed forests and who strictly abide by state and federal guidelines. This is not just a good idea, but also good business. It keeps our renewable resources growing close to home, preserving Pennsylvania’s heritage and keeping Penn’s woods – wooded. Regional sourcing and distribution also reduces carbon emissions associated with long-distance trucking of parts and finished goods. The wise management and use of these forests protects the health of commerce and our environment for today and decades to come.

Keener also has access to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified lumber that has been harvested sustainably. The FSC is an independent, non-profit organization supported by environmental groups worldwide, and has a reliable custody system which enables the tracking of wood from the forest floor to the consumer. In fact, FSC lumber can be traced back to the originating, well-managed forest. FSC has a rigorous set of criteria for managing forest lands, including protecting the rights of indigenous people who live in and utilize the forests. The FSC was founded in 1993 by conservation and forest sustainability groups including Greenpeace, Sierra Club, and World Wildlife Fund. Because of the difficulty in obtaining FSC lumber, please allow extra lead time for kitchens using FSC lumber.

Many Keener products also use Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) for strength and durability. All Keener MDF is an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP), independently certified by the Composite Panel Association (CPA) for their use of only recycled and recovered materials in their manufacture. This simple practice helps Keener reduce waste and preserve thousands of trees per year.

Indoor Air Quality

All Keener plywoods are formaldehyde-free in both their production process and their formulation. We also provide the option of using “no added urea formaldehyde” particle board and MDF. These products use non-urea formaldehyde binders in the manufacturing process, yielding a particle board and MDF with extremely low formaldehyde off-gassing. The only formaldehyde in these products is that which occurs naturally in the wood resins.

Trace amounts of formaldehyde, well below EPA recommended levels, can be found in Keener’s catalyzed varnish top coat, sealer and stains. Water-based stains and varnishes are available, but the formulation and clarity of these products do not presently live up to Keener’s high quality standards. We continue to watch their development as green-focused technology advances.

Safe Cement and Glues

Keener Kitchen uses some of the best and most innovative glues and cements in the industry. Our water-based contact cement contains no toxic ingredients, and our glues contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and are certified by OSHA as non-carcinogenic.

Recycling is always good business

Whether it’s office waste, cardboard, aluminum, plastic or manufacturing scraps and even dust, recycling is a way of life at Keener. Many of the by-products of the manufacture of our fine cabinets find their way into new purposes within our community. Sawdust is collected and given to farmers for animal bedding; old cabinets are repurposed or given to charity; wood scraps are used to fuel stoves in residential homes; and spent solvents are used to heat our neighbor’s cement kilns.

Growing Greener

Beyond these core initiatives, Keener is ever watchful for new, innovative green products, processes and resources. These include things as popular as highly efficient, Energy Star-rated appliances to optional cabinet drawer boxes made from FSC-certified hard maple, formaldehyde-free adhesive, water-soluble glue, and water-based lacquer, as well as hardware made from 100% recycled materials. Many of these and other products are compliant with the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, and, combined with Keener cabinetry, help projects earn LEED points for their reduced environmental impact.