What's Cooking

While the kitchen is the center of most American homes, it's often an afterthought when it comes to making environmental improvements. But considering that the kitchen consumes 20 to 40 percent of household energy, it's really a good place to concentrate your efforts. E, with the help of Green Pages eco-interior designers Andrew Fuston and Kim Nadel, has put together a model kitchen full of energy-saving appliances and recycled products.

The kitchen cabinets are from Becker Zeyko of Germany, recipient of the prestigious Blue Angel Award, which recognizes companies that excel in environmental manufacturing and product innovation. Engineered for beauty and durability, the cabinets come in 200 different styles, and the company ensures that no endangered hardwoods are used. Roar Varnes, CEO of Becker Zeyko's U.S. subsidiary, says the cabinets are 100 percent free of formaldehyde, a carcinogen that "outgasses" from standard units. "They're also free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which forms a poisonous gas if there's a fire in the home," Varnes says. "Our cabinets can safely return to Mother Earth as ashes." All packaging is recyclable, as are the cabinets themselves.

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