PaperStone & RainStone composite surface material

This interior surfacing material can be used in many applications: conference tabletops, counter tops, signs and plaques, window sills, restroom partitions, cabinets, indoor wall cladding, as well as cutting boards and cutlery handles.  It is extremely hard, practically impervious to water, scratch resistant, highly resistant to staining, and can bear temperatures to 350 degrees.  Also, both products are made from sustainable sources containing 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard or 100% recycled standard office paper.  Additionally, there are LEED Credit-Opportunity Contributions in the following categories:  Materials Reuse, Recycled Content , Low-Emitting Materials - Composite Wood, Agrifiber & Laminate. These two products were rated using specific criteria to grade its "life-cycle" attributes by a public, web resource guide, Green Building Pages.  They scored highly in various categories and well enough overall to be deemed a 2009 award winner based on the Green Building Pages evaluation.  

Areas that were judged to to be exceedingly sustainable in their characteristics were:  a zero-impact carbon footprint (99% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions/no ozone-depleting gases used or emitted); packaging (packaging is less than 5% of purchased product volume, 50% post-consumer content packaging, 10% post-industrial content packaging, 100% non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, biodegradable packaging, steps taken to reduce packaging); no off-gassing during installation, use and maintenance; living wage policies are available to the public and the CEO (or highest paid employee) salary is less than 10 times lowest wage; company has publicly-accessible human rights policy and a publicly-accessible child labor policy; product certifications include: FSC, Smartwood; no animals or animal by-products used in any product or process and products have been independently tested. 

Areas that did not score as well and/or showed room for improvement were:  transportation (the average distance from supplier to manufacturer is 501-1000 miles), durability & performance (life expectancy of the product is 20-29 years); just 60% renewable resource content; product reclamation & reincarnation (cannot be easily disassembled for alternative disposal and only 46% of product can be reused).

Overall, it appears to be a really sustainable, multi-use material choice that earns LEED credits.  There are 9 color options, 3 panel sizes, and thicknesses ranging from 1/4" to almost 3".  More information can be found at the PaperStone website.

(images borrowed from: http://www.paperstoneproducts.com/)

 








Rating criteria?

Plyboo: Bamboo Plywood & Flooring

In 2008 PlybooPure FSC-certified bamboo flooring was selected as a "Top-10 Green Building Product" by BuildingGreen, publisher of Environmental Building News, the architecture and design industry's most respected source of information on sustainable building and design.  The line of products are available from Smith & Fong, who originally started in 1989 as designers and manufacturers of art-craft quality bamboo pieces.  Smith & Fong's bamboo forests require no pesticides, fertilizers or irrigation, and an average of 20 percent of the bamboo forest is harvested in any given year, thereby leaving 80 percent of the forest standing at all times.  Their certified Plyboo products qualify for the FSC Pure designation, as they are 100% FSC material from an FSC-certified forest and have been sold and/or processed by an FSC chain-of-custody certified company.  Additionally, all the wood for the Sideways flooring line is domestically sourced, FSC Pure, and made in the U.S..  The manufacturing processes use 100% formaldehyde-free adhesives to ensure indoor air quality.  The resulting finish and appearance of the engineered hardwood flooring comes from a proprietary thermal treatment process that requires no added stains, dyes or toxic chemicals to achieve its look.  The Smith & Fong website also provides corresponding LEED credits available for the individual products that they offer.  Smith & Fong maintains a direct relationship with their bamboo farmers, ensuring responsible harvesting practices and a level of quality control not found in bamboo on the open market.  Their bamboo stalks are selected by hand, resulting in the harvest of mature bamboo and ensuring that the bamboo canopy is evenly culled (left about 80% intact every year).  100% of the forest can be sustainably harvested over a five- or six-year period, as moso bamboo ("timber bamboo") matures at 5 - 6 years of age.  Bamboo should not be harvested until after it matures and hardens into a reliable product.  The range of products offered could be used in a variety of applications; including cabinetry, furniture, gym floors, commercial and residential flooring, and other creative architectural purposes.

 

(images borrowed from: http://www.plyboo.com/)

Non-Toxic Wood Finishes

Tried & True Traditional Finishes are made using traditional 18th-century production techniques.  Unlike most finishes being sold they don't contain petroleum distillates, solvents or heavy metal drier additives.  Produced largely from polymerized linseed oil with other natural-product additives, the finishes strictly adhere to the standards established by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and qualify as non-toxic and safe for food-contact surfaces in both their uncured and cured (wet and dry) states.  Types of finishes available include their Original Wood Finish, Danish Oil and Varnish Oil.  I have personally used the Danish Oil and find it to be very effective with a high-yield of coverage.  The company that manufactures the finishes sells them directly via their website but I found the cost to be a little cheaper through the Lee Valley Tools website which is a great place to find lots of things related to woodworking and otherwise.  

 

(image borrowed from http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=45105&cat=1,190,42942)

Formaldehyde-free Hardwood Plywood

Purebond formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood is a relatively new product being offered by Columbia Forest Products.  This plywood is advertised as non-toxic and utilizes a formaldehyde-free, soy-based adhesive.  It is also compliant with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards.  I have found that it is really cost-competitive with other, existing hardwood plywood and is offered with either a veneer or composite core.  It is apparently very water-resistant and the hardwood components can be specified as "FSC-certified", meaning the wood is sustainably grown and harvested.  They offer a fairly wide range of species, including Bamboo, which is a very sustainable option and really attractive.  I purchased the Birch, veneer-core for a project and have been really satisfied.  The 3/4" sheets are really light-weight and it routs surprisingly well for a plywood.  The more "exotic" domestic wood species (Walnut, Cherry, Maple, etc.) increase significantly in price but the Birch is a real bargain.  There are distributors scattered around the U.S. and some Home Depot stores carry it as well.  More information, including the option to order (free of charge) can be found at Columbia's website.

 










  
   

(images borrowed from http://www.columbiaforestproducts.com/PureBond.aspx)