Understanding Environmentally Friendly Solutions
Environmental Friendly? Eco-sustainable? What does it all mean? With so many different global & local standards, it can get confusing, but we think we’ve found the most “environmentally friendly” cabinetry in Australia.
When considering what makes an environmentally friendly product, there are three main areas to consider – what it is made of, how it is made, and what emissions does it have after it is made. Our cabinetry is produced in a facility which is solar powered & made from recycled material so there is no impact to the environment in the manufacturing process.
But what about the emissions which are omitted into the home for years after the cabinetry is installed?
It’s pretty much all about formaldehyde. In general, formaldehyde, the substance used in the production of adhesives and resins which are in turn used in the processing of wood panels (DF and chipboard), is released into the surrounding environment in gas form for the duration of the life of the cabinetry. In consideration of human health, this emission is regulated by specific standards and legislation in many countries around the world.
In Europe & Australia the current limit for domestic use is set at 0.1 ppm (part per million), categorized as E1 (or E zero as it is sometimes referred to in Australia). This categorisation originates from an Act published in Germany in 1986 to regulate formaldehyde emissions and remains the level Australian and European manufactures must comply with today. The definition states : “… It is strictly prohibited to release wood-based products onto the market if they originally had an air balance concentration exceeding the value set out by law, i.e. 0.1 ppm (or 1 mg/liter)”. From that moment on, 1 mg/litre became the standard for all panel manufacturers.
There is however a standard over 3 times higher than this categorisation. The Super E Zero and the Japanese classification “F 4 stars” classifications are currently the most stringent standard in the world governing formaldehyde emission. These standards state that emissions must be no great than 0.3 mg/litre, which is more than 3 times more stringent than the E1 / E zero classification. All the panels we provide comply with these highest of all standards across the planet. Of course in addition we offer materials which have no emissions at all, like wood, glass, aluminium and our water based lacquer, but for the cases where resin is required in manufacturing process, you can be sure our products comply with the most rigorous standards in environmental protection law.
Not only that, any emissions resulting from the transport, are more than compensated for by planting forestry trees.
So, in summary, the combination of eco-friendly structures made from recycled material and a solar powered production facility (which cares for the environment), and adherence to the highest standards of emission regulation (which cares for our health), we think we’ve got the most environmentally friendly cabinetry in Australia.