There is a small town between Midland and Orillia called Coldwater, Ontario. It is the home to the sink manufacturer, Novanni. Novanni produces sinks under the brand names of Novanni Elite, Novanni Pro, Signature by Elkay. Wessan and Signature by Elkay sinks are widely available at Home Depot, Home Hardware and Rona. When you purchase one of these sinks you are purchasing a North American product — the steel comes from a mill in the US, and the sinks are manufactured in Coldwater, ON.
Stainless steel has a lot of benefits over other types of sinks; they are made from at a minimum 75% recycled material, — and in the case of Novanni, the US steel mill they work with sends them stainless steel that has a minimum 90% recycled material. Further, stainless steel is endlessly recyclable and the sinks have a minimum life span of at least 30 years.
But Novanni goes farther than just making a North American product. It is also taking steps to lower its overall carbon footprint. For example, it uses a retail energy supplier, Just Energy, which puts some renewable energy into the electricity grid. The quantity depends on the number of credits you buy with one credit consisting of a mix of hydro, wind, nuclear, natural gas, coal or oil and five credits consisting entirely of renewable energy. Given that nuclear, natural gas, coal and oil are not exactly green energy producers, the only way to ensure that you are getting a 100% renewable energy (hydro and wind) is to buy 5 credits — which is exactly what Novanni does. For more information see Just Energy’s FAQ page.
Not only has Novanni invested in renewable energy, it has also decreased its natural gas consumption by 20% since 2006, uses recycled cardboard for packaging purposes, and recycles waste products where possible. In fact the company has been recognized by Natural Resources Canada for its voluntary steps taken to reduce industrial greenhouse gases and is now an integral part of the Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC).
Food for Thought: The engineer for Novanni did a carbon footprint calculation for shipping a sink from China to Canada, versus one made in Coldwater. If you live in Toronto the number of grams of CO2 emitted for the transportation of a sink shipped from Coldwater by truck is 53 grams/15lb sink. If you buy one from China that has been sent by ship to Vancouver and then truck to Toronto, the number of grams of CO2 emitted is 2,314/15lb sink.
To find a Novanni or Wessan dealer near you, visit their website.
I have used Novanni products on several projects, both stainless steel and synthetic bowls. I find their quality to be very high, the only problem I’ve had was missing clamps from the box on one occasion, I spoke with their customer service and they couriered them out to me next day! I think most people believe that stainless means it will never get dirty or Marr in any way, what you put into your sink is a huge factor, things like local water hardness and quality also play a large role in water spots and marks. Their products easily compare to any of the more costly options out there.
And that goes for me too very unhappy with it and I clean mine constantly with Cerama Bryte Cooktop with a dry cloth then rinsing . I also tried vinegar along with baking soda and that’s good too. I didn’t know to much about sinks since every new house we bought the sink was already installed. Would like to get rid of this one but I assume it’s a job since it’s undermounted with quartz countertop, NEVER AGAIN !!
If you’re looking for a low maintenance sink with a nice reliable finish, avoid Novanni.
If you’re happy with water spots and discolouration – even on municipal water – you’ll get that with Novanni.
After we had our Novanni sink for a few weeks, we went back to the dealer. They have a Novanni bar sink in their back room. They said that they have to use CLR to get it clean.
Novanni? We’re stuck with what we bought, but never again…