Western Dovetail Green Statement

Company Philosophy:
Western Dovetail makes finely crafted dovetailed drawers for cabinets and furniture that are built to last for generations. This precious resource (wood) that our planet offers is abundant and renewable as long as it is respected and maintained. At the foundation of our company is a fundamental appreciation of nature and a desire to work closely with the earth's resources to produce beautiful, natural products as efficiently as possible.

Domestic Hardwood Use is Green by Nature
It is important to understand that using domestic hardwoods to make solid wood components for the home and office is by far the most ecologically responsible method of creating an object from our earth's resources. The alternative is to use metal, plastic or composites which require vast amounts of heat, power and chemicals to create. Using domestic hardwood materials promotes responsible forestry practices and reduces our carbon footprint by staying close to the source. The vast majority of domestic hardwoods are harvested with the future health of the forest in mind. Western Dovetail does not use particle board in any products and makes every effort to avoid using materials that contain toxic chemicals.

Western Dovetail is FSC Chain of Custody certified.
Western Dovetail is proud to be an environmentally responsible company. This year marks the 10 year anniversary for Western Dovetail's FSC certification. Western Dovetail was the 77th company in the world to become FSC certified in 1998, and was the first drawer company to embrace the standards set forth by the FSC. FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests. Western Dovetail recognizes the social, economic and environmental benefits of promoting responsible forestry worldwide.

• Western Dovetail Provides customers with FSC certified materials upon request
  • FSC certified Hard Maple is always in stock and reasonably priced.
  • FSC certified maple plywood is also available in 1/2" and 1/4" thickness
  • Other Species of FSC certified materials are also available on a special order basis.
• Western Dovetail provides customers with products that meet LEED® requirements
  • Western Dovetail provides Bamboo Drawers which are made from rapidly renewable materials that are resistant to mold and pests.
  • LEED® compliant, FSC-certified plywood with NAF adhesive technology is available.
  • Western Dovetail offers Low-VOC water-based finishes upon request.

The LEED® Green Building Rating System
The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Developed by the United States Green Building Council, the LEED® Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing buildings that reduce or eliminate the negative impact they often have on the environment. LEED® and related logo is a trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used by permission.

Western Dovetail offers custom made dovetail drawers Made of FSC Certified materials and may be specified with NAUF Plywood and UV cured water-base or low emission finishes can help meet LEED® requirements in a number of ways. Also, use of Bamboo materials may qualify for rapidly renewable materials. Some of the LEED® credit system includes some of the following examples:

• Indoor Environmental Quality
  • Low-Emitting Materials, Adhesives and Sealants
    • No Added Formaldehyde Adhesive (NAF)
  • Low-Emitting Materials, Paints and Coatings
    • Water-base UV finishes
• Materials & Resources
  • Rapidly Renewable Materials
  • Certified Wood

Western Dovetail facility is Recycled
The Western Dovetail facility is located on Mare Island, a former Navy Base in Northern California. As part of the re-use plan certain buildings were leased to private companies seeking to perform similar use as the former Navy operations. The building that Western Dovetail occupies was built by the Navy in 1903 as the primary woodworking facility for the Navy operations.

Wood chips and sawdust are sold to a company that re-uses the shavings for ranches and rodeos and then eventually becomes fertilized topsoil for agriculture. This reduced the amount of material going to landfill by 70% from the previous facility. In addition to recycling woodchips, the larger blocks and tailings are generally saved for use in domestic fireplaces as kindling and heating fuel. Western Dovetail also recycles bottles, cans, paper and cardboard through the local collection service.