For some reason, my old Dura Supreme postings have been making the rounds at Dura Supreme itself as well as other traditional cabinet companies (i.e. those who utilize formaldehyde-containing particleboard and plywood), and I've been receiving comments and e-mails from employees of those companies that are more and more vitriolic. I'm not worried about that--I've been through this kind of thing before, particularly after my reporting on Exxon. Dura Supreme is no Exxon, but the response has been similar. I continue to post these comments and respond to them, but I've noticed a common thread in them that I wanted to talk about. Blaming the consumer.
It was, apparently, my fault as a consumer for not knowing whether, despite claims to environmental responsibility--the KCMA label--Dura Supreme utilized formaldehyde-free plywood or particleboard. It was my fault that I didn't understand that the term "green" is "subjective", according to one industry commenter on the blog, and that a company may claim that mantle without doing anything to deserve it. It was my job to investigate, make calls, pin someone down and demand an honest answer about the parts per million in the adhesive (hard to do when Dura Supreme doesn't respond to formal inquiries, only sends its employees out in droves to post anonymous comments on blogs).
As I've mentioned before, I've only recently had the interest and, as a new mom, the time to research on topics like green construction. When I encountered this problem, I was like many consumers--I thought when a cabinetmaker touted an environmentally-friendly certification, like Dura Supreme did, that they wouldn't have the audacity to claim that while using formaldehyde-containing products. I was protecting my family from a known carcinogen that has been linked to a wide variety of maladies, including asthma and nasal cancer. I also relied on my contractor, who is currently taking courses in green construction, to vet these products for me, and even he was blindsided. Not a good sign for the cabinetmakers.
I think the comments on the Dura Supreme postings are instructive for any consumer, particularly those in the market for cabinets. There you'll find a sampling of the ethos under which many, but not all, of these companies operate under. They believe it is up to the consumer to weed through their claims and determine for themselves if a product can live up to those claims. If you don't "do your research", it's your fault. Don't go by the sales material. Don't go by the KCMA labels (see the comment someone left under Letter to Dura Supreme about the outrageous sham that is KCMA). Just assume the companies are lying. Be your own Attorney General. This is from the mouths of the company employees themselves.
I posted about this today because while this kind of reaction is par for the course for the kind of work I do, everyday consumers--the ones who visit my blog so they don't have to spend the time to do all the research--shouldn't have to deal with this. Even Carter's, which has, in my opinion, not done the right thing in not recalling the onesies causing rashes, has not attacked its customers for complaining and has even tried to make things right in some cases. The way a company and its employees react to dissatisfied customers is very telling, and it has been the way Dura Supreme has reacted--by refusing to acknowledge my letter but instead letting its employees post angry comments on my blog anonymously (my visitor counter allows me to see the domain/IP address under which commenters post). Is this the kind of company you want to do business with, even if you don't care about whether the product containins formaldehyde or not? Take my Dura Supreme experience as a cautionary tale, one that is representative of the experience of many normal consumers who don't have a blog about the toxicity of everyday products.
Oh, and I can't let this go uncommented upon. I was accused, too, of being a skilled writer whose ability to string words together obscured the lack of merit in my complaint. In addition, my complaints were "irrational." I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I read that accusation. Thanks for the first compliment; and as for the accusation of irrationality? Heard it before from other companies whose work I've questioned. I take it as a compliment, too. Coming from a company under attack, such an accusation means I'm doing my job.
In the meantime, here is a list of companies offered formaldehyde-free cabinetry (MDF, Plywood, or sustainably harvested hardwood). Long live the Irrational Consumer:
Charles R. Bailey Cabinetmakers
Breathe Easy Cabinetry
Neil Kelly Cabinets--ask about their melamine use, though.
Executive Kitchens
3 comments:
This comment was posted earlier by someone calling him/herself "Minnesota Mom". I unfortunately screwed up the moderating function and can't retrieve it but here it is, unedited, in its entirety:
Shelby -
Love your dad. 'CCO anchor Don Shelby is smart, funny and his "good to know" series offers reason in the midst of heated emotion, as well as accountability in the midst of finger pointing. It's a good lesson for all of us to know, and it's one that might serve you well now.
Yes, remodeling is expensive and personal and emotional. Whether we’re considering style or safety, the choices we make for our children matter. I understand that you specifically requested formaldehyde free products for your bathroom remodel. I assume that you did this knowing that formaldehyde - a molecule compound of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon -- occurs naturally in the environment and is produced in some levels by nearly every living organism. Surely, you must be aware that because formaldehyde is such a simple form of carbon it is essential to metabolic processes and is naturally produced in humans everyday. A typical adult has one to two parts per million in their bloodstream naturally. I assume that you also know that the World Health Organization has determined that formaldehyde in higher dosages can be a carcinogen in humans. Of course you must know these things, otherwise how would you even know to be concerned enough to ask for formaldehyde-free products?
Dura Supreme's web site does say they comply with the requirements of the Housing and Urban Development regarding indoor air quality. That means that the material used in their cabinetry has in fact less than .2 parts per million, well below any level flagged as a potential irritant or carcinogen by the World Health Organization.
Yet, you publicly and boldly have used your forum to proclaim your opinion that no level of formaldehyde is safe. You’re certainly entitled to that opinion, but I can’t help but wonder: Did you nurse that new baby of yours?… at two-tenths of a part per million, your new vanity has less formaldehyde in it than you have in your own body just to keep your metabolic processes functioning. Opinions on immunizations abound and some mothers do choose to forego the recommended shots, but if you’ve vaccinated that baby against polio or diptheria, then you’ve injected formaldehyde directly into your baby. Also, do you cook vegetables in your home while your children are present? Beware the brussels sprouts. Plant matters of all kinds, including fruits and vegetables, emit low levels of formaldehyde. Put a little of your abundant energy into finding out how much formaldehyde is in the air when you cook brussel sprouts, or cabbage, or cauliflower or apples in your home. I think you'll find that it is comparable to or less than those panels in your Dura cabinetry.
Also, you probably want to put a little energy into researching the lifespan of formaldehyde. If that 42" vanity has been sitting in your home in open air for a year, the formaldehyde off-gassing peaked months ago. Assuming you have any kind of normal ventilation and filtration system in your home, or even open windows, the off-gassing effects would have dissipated about two weeks after that vanity was pulled out of its carton. Like all formaldehyde, it would have dispersed into the air and settled onto the ground where natural bacterias would have digested it.
So, candidly, from one mom to another, at this point the best thing you can do for your family is make peace with the situation and finish your bathroom project without replacing your vanity. If it really, really bothers you, then go buy a formaldehyde free paint and seal the particle board to prevent future off-gassing.
You are right in that many progressive companies feature formaldehyde-free resins in their wood products... I work for one of those companies and we sure appreciate the business you're sending our way. Nevertheless, it's business we're earning at a high cost: The pen is a powerful sword and you've wielded it mightily to publicly indict a company that never even claimed to be formaldehyde free. Perhaps you call this journalism. I think "libel" is a more accurate description.
I hope that you find this perspective "Good to Know."
--Minnesota Mom
It's interesting to see how many disgruntled cabinet company employees have been on your ass about this. Hang in there. It's so obvious that "Minnesota Mom" is neither a mom nor a woman, BTW. And working for company that makes formaldehyde-free cabinets? I find that just a *touch* hard to believe, considering the excerpts from the Formaldehyde Council's handbook. LOL. Guess your just going to have to let this one go.
This will be my last comment on the matter. I will be responding here only to the errors of fact and misleading parallels/fallacies in your argument.
Citing EPA and OSHA formaldehyde emission standards--and, worse, World Health Organization standards--as "safe levels" is laughable, considering the amount of research that shows these levels to be unsafe. I take as an example the Katrina trailers, which met all of these emission standards and which the Centers for Disease Control has determined has sickened hundreds if not thousands of people. There is a lawsuit pending against the government for this reason. Interestingly, the state of California is outlawing formaldehyde-added composite wood products next year. It's that safe of a product.
What I think is even more insidious, however, is the comparison of "formaldehyde levels" in breastmilk, in vaccines, in vegetables, using the presence of such to suggest that the amount emitted from particleboard and plywood is negligible. Although this is a common defense used by people in industries that rely on formaldehyde use, I can't let it go uncommented upon lest anyone reading this take you at your word. You are certainly correct that environmental pollutants have, unfortunately, found its way into our bodies. However, there is a huge payoff for breastfeeding despite this; there is a huge payoff for using vaccines that contain a trace amount of thimerosol (though thimerosol has been taken out of all childhood vaccines save the flu vaccine). That trade off is, in the case of breast milk, protecton against illness, a possibility of greater intellectual achievement, and so on. The payoff with vaccines is protection from serious illness, disability, and death.
Tell me: what is the positive side of the trade off with having formaldehyde-containing products in your home? A pretty bathroom? A nice kitchen? Are there health benefits that might offset the formaldehyde emissions? The arguments you have presented, while clearly thought out, are fallacies.
I respect your opinions and your passion. This clearly means a lot to you. It means a lot to me, too. We simply disagree.
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