Green building is all about using fewer natural resources and less energy while making buying decisions that are better for our health and the planet. You should now consider restoring rather than replacing your kitchen cabinetry because green kitchen cabinets are your old kitchen cabinets. This is one of our options since green doesn't always mean buying new stuff. Another way to look at the big picture is the idea of becomming greener through reusing and restoring what we already have.
Restoring your existing cabinets during a kitchen remodel causes fewer environmental problems rather than buying new no matter what new environmentally friendly materials you've chosen to construct your new cabinets. There will be less to haul away to the landfill from a total tear out and fewer raw materials to mine and harvest. The best part of this scenario is that refurbishing your existing cabinets is and should be cheaper than replacement. Be advised that it is fruitless trying to salvage cabinets with structural problems or those that are poorly constructed using cheap materials.
Your "new to you" fine kitchen cabinetry can be accomplished by either a simple paint job or refacing your old kitchen cabinets for staining. The cheapest solution is repainting with a low VOC paint and this task can additionally be accomplished by the owner. This will more than likely give you some new kitchen remodel ideas. The painted cabinets can be kicked up a notch by replacing the hardware that was stripped prior to painting. Refacing the cabinets with either veneer or 1/4" plywood will give you that natural look and uses fewer natural resources than buying new ones. This will totally revive the cabinet carcass boxes. You can further push the beauty meter by installing new doors and drawer fronts of a matching wood species. Installing the new pulls and hinges will give the appearance that the old cabinets were totally replaced.
Whether you paint or resurface the old existing cabinets the installation of new countertops will enhance your kitchen upgrade and improve both the look and functionality of your "new" greener workspace.