Cucine Lube: First European Kitchen Producer to Achieve UL Greenguard Gold Certificate
People spend 90% of their time indoor, where air pollution levels are 2 to 10x times higher than those found outdoors (source U.S. EPA). Indoor air quality (IAQ) is closely tied to health and is therefore recognized as an important concern in homes, schools, healthcare environments and commercial spaces. Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from building materials and furnishings is a major source of indoor air pollution.
The Volatile Organic Compounds are the emissions from furniture products, surfaces and paint, as well as other harmful chemicals in indoor environments. Such as, for instance, solvents, which affect the Indoor Air Quality. Breathing low levels of VOCs for long periods of time may increase some people’s risk of health problems. Several studies suggest that exposure to VOCs may make symptoms worse in people who have asthma or are sensitive to chemicals. VOCs particularly affect indoor air quality.
The demand for products that support good indoor air quality (IAQ) is growing all around the world. According to a U.S. survey from Green Builder Media’s COGNITION Smart Data, a growing contingent of homeowners seeks products that support good IAQ. In fact, nearly 25% of building professional survey respondents reported that their customers purchase products to address indoor air quality “often” or “very often.”
As the demand for healthier, more sustainable products continues to expand, consumers and building industry professionals increasingly demand substantiation of product sustainability claims and rely on trustworthy third-party certifiers to guide purchasing and specification decisions. GREENGUARD Certification provides the market with solutions and resources to identify products with lower chemical emissions and provides manufacturers with credible tools to legitimize and promote their sustainability efforts.
GREENGUARD Certification Program has been widely adopted worldwide as a trusted standard for low-emitting products. In USA, more than 400 green building codes, standards, guidelines, procurements policies, and rating systems give credit for GREENGUARD Certified products.
Made in Italy Kitchens is proud to highlight that our manufacturer CUCINELUBE is the first kitchen producer in Europe to achieve the UL GREENGUARD Gold Certificate, as reported on UL website. Such an award certifies that our kitchens meet stringent chemical emissions limits and stand out as contributing to better indoor environmental quality. Our products indeed assure extremely low emission of VOC from both joinery structures and lacquering coating (please see a colour chart here).
The certification of CUCINELUBE and CREO kitchen offers a wide variety of options to stakeholders including architects, designers and consumers to configure or renovate a kitchen that meets their needs and simultaneously supports occupant health. The selection of UL GREENGUARD Certified products can even help earn credits toward a variety of green building rating schema like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).