Pre-consumer (also called “post-industrial”) recycling refers to the reuse of industrial by-products, as distinguished from material that has been in consumer use. The iron-ore slag used to make mineral wool insulation and the fly ash used to make concrete are examples of post-industrial recycled materials. While post-consumer recycled content is preferable, a product that uses pre-consumer content or recycles a seldom-used waste product, especially in an area where recycled products are hard to find, can be considered green.
Excluded from this category, by FTC definitions, is the use of scrap within the same manufacturing process from which it was generated—material that would typically have gone back into the manufacturing process anyway.
Terramica
Terramica particleboard is a no-added-urea-formaldehyde panel that uses polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI) as a binder.
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Just how low the VOC level needs to be for a given product to qualify for inclusion in GreenSpec depends on the product category. For most products, we require certification to California’s health-based emissions standard, CDPH Std Method v1.1 standard (also referred to as California Section 01350), which tests a product’s resultant VOC concentrations in the space after a given period of time. For wet-applied products like paints, caulks, and adhesives, we still also look for VOC content instead of, or in addition to, verified low emissions; this is because emissions testing doesn’t adequately test initial offgassing, and VOC content is currently the only widely available proxy.
Terramica particleboard is a no-added-urea-formaldehyde panel that uses polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI) as a binder. Unlike formaldehyde, pMDI is not classified as a cancer-causing agent by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This binder gives Terramica panels improved moisture resistance and dimensional stability, according to the company. According to the manufacturer, Terramica contains 100% pre-consumer recycled wood fiber and is available in underlayment-grade M-1 and industrial-grade M-2 and M-3 panels. Available thicknesses range from 1/4” through 3/4” in 4' widths up to 8' long.
06 40 23: Interior Architectural Woodwork Substrate
Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard are manufactured from sawmill waste that is typically held together with urea-formaldehyde (UF) or phenol-formaldehyde (PF) binder. Particleboard is made from larger wood fiber particles than MDF, has a lower density, and doesn't mill as cleanly.
Most manufacturers offer MDF and particleboard with UF and PF options, but formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen, offgases from UF products significantly more than those that use PF. These emissions are regulated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which established formaldehyde emissions limits of 0.09 and 0.11 parts per million for MDF and particleboard, respectively, in January 2011.
Products listed in GreenSpec contain no-added-urea-formaldehyde (NAUF) or no-added-formaldehyde (NAF) and are CARB Phase 2 compliant; they may also contain FSC-certified wood content or recovered waste fiber.
06 16 23: Subflooring
Subflooring creates the structural plane of the floor, over which the finish flooring layers are applied. Phenol-formaldehyde (PF) binders are used in plywood, while OSB can be made with PF or the non-formaldehyde-emitting methyl diisocyanate (MDI), a polyurethane binder. Formaldehyde emissions from these structural products are exempt from major North American emissions standards, including those from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
Oriented-strand board (OSB) can be an efficient use of forest resources because it can be produced from small-diameter or low-grade tree species. Some subflooring products combine the function of a subfloor and underlayment, reducing material use. Products listed here contain no-added formaldehyde (NAF) or are available with FSC-certified content. Magnesium oxide panels, which are particularly insect and moisture resistant, are also listed here.
09 60 14: Flooring Underlayment
Using underlayment products beneath wood, tile, resilient flooring, or carpet and carpet cushion provides a level surface and helps insulate floors from sound transmission and, to a limited extent, heat loss.
Cork rolls and sheets can provide resilience to the floor system with significantly less thickness than fiberboard products or a gypsum-cement poured-in-place slab. And use of a sound-deadening underlayment below a hard-surface floor can reduce the need to further control sound transmission with carpeting or rugs.
Plywood is often required as an underlayment for resilient flooring, ceramic tiles, and carpeting; and exterior-grade particleboard can also be used is some applications. Some products combine the functions of subfloor and underlayment in one product, minimizing resource use. Lauan or other tropical wood based products should be avoided unless FSC-certified.
Environmentally preferable materials for flooring underlayment listed by GreenSpec include natural cork, strawboard, products that are inherently moisture- and mold-resistant, and products with recycled content. Preference is given to no-added-formaldehyde (NAF) products, but no-added-urea-formaldehyde (NAUF) particleboards and plywoods also have very low formaldehyde emissions.
Certifications
LEED Credits
EQc4.4: Low-Emitting Materials—Composite Wood&Agrifiber Products
IEQc4.4: Low-Emitting Materials—Composite Wood and Agrifiber Products
MRc4: Recycled Content
Ratings and Commentary
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Manufacturer Information
Potlatch Corporation
601 W. First Ave., Ste. 1600
Spokane, WA
www.potlatchcorp.com
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