KOHLER HOSTS A SPOOKY (AND SUSTAINABLE) HALLOWEEN SOIREE FOR NKBA MANHATTAN MEMBERS

By Diana Mosher -- NKBA Manhattan Chapter members celebrated Halloween in style on October 31 at the Kohler Experience Center & Best Plumbing Supply on West 22nd Street. The Spooky Soiree featured a delicious Asian-themed menu, raffle prizes, and fabulous costumes. Congratulations to NKBA Manhattan member Sandra Singh, who won the prize for Best Halloween Costume!

The Spooky Soiree was also an opportunity to tour the showroom’s many creative residential vignettes showcasing sinks, tubs, showers, tile, and much more for kitchen and bath design. Later, during a special presentation, we heard about some of Kohler’s most popular creative initiatives, like Kohler x Studio McGee, a collection launched in partnership with Studio McGee, a multi-disciplinary interior design firm based in Salt Lake City.

Sustainability is also top-of-mind for the Wisconsin-based company. David Kohler has said many times now that: business success doesn't matter much if you can't leave the world better than you found it. With this directive in mind, since 2008 the company has been tracking the environmental footprint of their operations. Now there’s data to drive improvements to reduce the impact of Kohler’s operations on the planet.

Kohler has been working with cast iron—a recycled material—since 1887, when John Michael Kohler created the company’s first bathtub from a cast iron horse trough. Today, enameled cast iron products made from 80 percent recycled material by skilled artisans remain a cornerstone of Kohler’s kitchen and bathroom portfolio. Kohler is also a leader in water conservation technology. And, for all projects, including those seeking LEED certification, Kohler offers third-party validated documents. These environmental product declarations (EPDs) are available on the website. The Declare Label states the ingredients that have gone into a product, how safe it is while you’re using it, and what happens when it’s removed and put in the landfill to ensure it doesn't poison the environment.

One of the company’s most impressive accomplishments is a new division called KOHLER WasteLAB. It takes leftover landfill-bound materials from manufacturing and converts them into new products. Viewing waste products as a new, raw ingredient is an important step toward building a sustainable circular economy. In fact, between 2019 and 2023, sales of WasteLAB Tiles diverted more than 73,426 pounds of waste from landfills, helping Kohler's commitment to achieving net-zero waste in landfills by 2035. Kudos to Kohler for combining style, functionality, and sustainability. Thank you to the Kohler Experience Center in New York for hosting the NKBA Manhattan Chapter on Halloween at your Spooky Soiree!