Using materials recovered from the waste stream typically results in less waste, pollution, and energy use than using virgin materials. From an environmental standpoint, post-consumer is typically considered preferable to pre-consumer recycled content because post-consumer recycled materials are more likely to have been diverted from landfills.
In some cases, we consider products with recycled content green but with some caveats regarding where they should be used. For example, rubber flooring made from recycled automobile tires should not be used in most fully enclosed indoor spaces due to the likelihood of VOC emissions.
Recycling can have downsides. For example, some studies show that curbside collection programs and some recycling processes use more energy than they save. Closed-loop recycling is generally preferable to “down-cycling,” in which a lower-grade material is produced—but due to contamination of waste streams and the difficulty of extracting high-value ingredients, down-cycling may be as good as it gets. At times recycling can re-introduce hazardous components. Some products, like copper and aluminum, include a high level of recycled content as a matter of course—which we applaud, but don’t consider justification for listing in GreenSpec. As more complete life-cycle information on recycled materials and processes becomes available, we use that to increase our scrutiny of recycled products.
Richlite FSC-Certified Countertops
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Third-party forest certification based on standards developed by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the best way to ensure that wood products come from well-managed forests. Wood products must go through a chain-of-custody certification process to carry an FSC stamp.
Manufactured wood products can meet the FSC certification requirements with less than 100% certified wood content through percentage-based claims (30% certified content is required if only virgin wood fiber is used; certified-wood content as low as 17.5% is allowable if the rest of the fiber content is from recycled sources).
With a few special-case exceptions, FSC-based certification is a requirement for GreenSpec inclusion of any nonsalvaged solid-wood product and most other wood products. A few manufactured wood products, including engineered lumber and particleboard/MDF, can be included if they have other environmental advantages--such as absence of formaldehyde binders. Engineered wood products in GreenSpec do not qualify by virtue of their resource efficiency benefits alone (for more on this, see EBN, Vol. 8, No. 11).
Richlite makes a durable countertop material made from paper and phenolic resin. All of Richlite’s paper content (60%–70% of the material) is now either certified to the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) standards, or derived from 100% post-consumer recycled paper (the R100 line). Despite the phenol-formaldehyde content, the material is certified by Greenguard Children & Schools for low emissions and has a measured formaldehyde levels of just 0.001 ppm—far lower than background levels.
Countertops and other horizontal surfaces have to be able to withstand water, cleaning chemicals, abrasion, and other abuse. There is no perfect surface for every application and aesthetic sensibility, but whichever type of surface you choose, you can find products with raw materials, binders, and adhesives to minimize environmental impact.
High-pressure laminates (HPLs)—with Formica being the best-known brand—are inexpensive and are made from kraft paper and melamine (MF) or phenol formaldehyde (PF) binders crosslinked together into a thin thermoset plastic. The HPL is then adhered to particleboard or MDF panels. According to manufacturers, the formaldehyde in the MF and PF resins is transformed by the manufacturing process into an inert material, resulting in extremely low emissions from the final product. Products listed by GreenSpec contain FSC-certified content and meet CDPH Standard Method emissions requirements. No-added formaldehyde, biobased laminates are also listed.
Composite surfaces are also made from paper or wood fibers and PF or MF binders. They are available in different thicknesses and are not laminated to wood cores. There may not be as much paper or wood fiber in these products as you might assume, with resins sometimes comprising 50% of the final product by weight, but some contain biobased resins. Products listed by GreenSpec contain 100% post-consumer recycled or FSC-certified content.
Glass composites use pre- and post-consumer recycled glass and/or porcelain along with a portland cement-based binder. Some glass composites contain biobased resins, but avoid those that use epoxy, which contains the endocrine disruptor bisphenol-A.
Solid surface materials are made from either acrylic or polyester resins and conform to ANSI-approved performance standards. Non-porous and homogenous, they can be sanded and repaired if damaged and can be installed without seams. GreenSpec lists products that contain post-consumer recycled content and meet CDPH Standard Method emissions requirements.
There are plenty of wood and rapidly renewable surface products available. GreenSpec lists those made from reclaimed wood; FSC-certified wood; and rapidly renewable bamboo, wheat, sorghum, or hemp.
GreenSpec does not currently list natural stone countertops, pending review of new life-cycle assessment data produced by the industry.
Certifications
- California Section 01350
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- Greenguard Gold
LEED Credits
MRc4: Recycled Content
MRc6: Certified Wood
MRc7: Certified Wood
Ratings and Commentary
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