Sustainable interior design is no longer tomorrow’s vision but today’s necessity. When architects, designers and millworkers consider surface materials for interior living and working spaces, they should consider more than aesthetics, performance and cost. Today, the impact of material selection on our natural world matters more than ever.
The good news: one of the most versatile, affordable and high-performing surface materials available is also one of the most sustainable.
Discover how EGGER’s thermally fused laminate (TFL) panels are naturally sustainable thanks to their ability to store carbon, the renewable resources used as a raw material and the circular production processes used to manufacture them.
Our Renewable Raw Material: Wood
Wood serves as an incredibly valuable raw material for our panels. As a renewable resource, it also delivers the added climate benefit of carbon storage. According to the Composite Panel Association, composite wood panels store as much or more carbon than is released during the manufacturing process, making them carbon negative or carbon neutral.
Here at EGGER, we value wood as a natural resource and are committed to optimizing its use. Particleboard and TFL panels produced at our Lexington, N.C. plant are made primarily using what would otherwise be considered waste or recovered wood—wood chips left over from other milling and manufacturing processes. About 70% of the wood in our composite panels comes from these sources. With the addition of our brand new on-site recycling center, our boards will also now be produced with up to 20% post-consumer recycled wood material.
Learn More About Our U.S. Recycling Operations
When harvested wood is required (about 10% of our wood supply), we purchase only from sustainably managed forests. These forests are managed in a holistic way to balance social, environmental and economic interests. The demand for sustainably harvested wood in turn creates a demand for the planting of new trees, and these new, younger trees sequester more carbon as they grow. Meanwhile, if the harvested wood is used for durable goods, such as composite wood panels, it continues to store carbon.
Minimizing Our Carbon Footprint
Recognizing our responsibility to future generations, EGGER works to act sustainably at every opportunity—from our raw material sourcing to production optimization to logistics planning—in order to minimize our carbon footprint. Approximately 90% of our wood supply originates within 100 miles of our production site, reducing carbon emissions from transport. We regularly evaluate our production processes to maximize efficiency. When possible, product shipments are sent via rail as a more sustainable transport option.
Accountability, Through Certification and Transparency
EGGER has implemented internal and external auditing and verification systems to ensure we operate in the most environmentally responsible way. These include:
- ISO 14001 environmental management system certification
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Eco-Certified Composite (ECC) Sustainability Standard by the Composite Panel Association
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EGGER Audit Controlled—these internal auditing controls ensure wood is harvested from forests that meet recognized sustainable forestry standards.
We offer Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for our products, which provide transparency on the environmental impact of materials, helping architects, designers and millworkers better assess and compare building materials and methods for their projects.
EPDs provide environmentally material information, including:
- Product descriptions
- Certificates & test reports of product characteristics
- Component Manufacturing processes
- Environmental Performance Assessment
- Resource management
- Waste Information
ECC Certification
All products manufactured in our Lexington plant are certified green and sustainable by the Composite Panel Association's Eco-Certified Composite (ECC) Sustainability Standard. Eco-Certified Composite products may help achieve some industry standards for green design and construction.
Environmental Brochure
Explore sustainable construction and healthy living with our wood-based materials. The environmental brochure contains the most important information on sustainability, resource conservation, environmental performance assessment, environmental labels and building certification.
Sustainability Reports
We act with future generations in mind, and with respect toward the well-being of the environment, our employees, our customers and society as a whole. Each year, we evaluate our sustainability performance and report on our sustainability goals, initiatives and results.