RE: [GBlist] "Green" kitchen cabs

["Ralph Bicknese" <ralph.bicknese@christnerinc.com>]

Rush and others:

Thanks for the heads up Rush.  It seems Medite may not be as environmentally
responsible as I remembered.  It contains formaldehyde.

Here are a few sources that tout environmentally responsive particleboard of
various types:

Phenix Biocomposites, LLC
http://www.phenixbiocomposites.com

GreenClips.178   10.24.01
GREENER CHOICES FOR PARTICLEBOARD AND MDF

While demand for particleboard and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is
increasing, the availability of wood residues may not be keeping pace with
this demand. This has led some producers to use alternative sources of
fiber, such as agricultural, wood and paper waste. Four US plants produce
particleboard and MDF from straw: Primeboard in North Dakota, Isobord
Enterprises in Minnesota, FiberTech in California, and Pacific Northwest
Fiber in Idaho. Two plants produce particleboard from bagasse, the residue
from sugar cane processing: Acadia Board in Louisiana and Hawaiian DuraGreen
in Hawaii. Particleboard and MDF are also available containing recycled wood
content or wood fiber derived from sustainable forestry, but most of these
products use formaldehyde-based resins. Formaldehyde is considered a
probable human carcinogen. The most widely used alternative to urea
formaldehyde for particleboard and MDF is methylenediphenyl isocyanate
(MDI). Products made with MDI do not emit a toxic gas during usage, but
there are concerns about MDI toxicity for workers exposed during
particleboard and MDF manufacturing. One company, Homasote, produces an
MDF-like board from post-consumer recycled waste paper, using a
formaldehyde-free wax emulsion as the binder. SierraPine offers
formaldehyde-free MDF made from recovered and pre-consumer recycled wood
fiber.

More:
http://www.isobordenterprises.com
http://www.primeboard.com
http://www.pacificfiber.com
http://www.hawaiianduragreen.com
http://www.homasote.com
http://www.sierrapine.com
FiberTech, tel. 530.458.4547; Acadia, tel. 727.393.9668.

Green Seal's Choose Green Report: Particleboard and Medium-density
Fiberboard, Oct 01.

Medium Density Fiberboard that contains a recycled content.