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?
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