Modern wood products manufacturers have learned to focus on more than just making a product. They have to pay attention to sourcing practices, manufacturing that is not only efficient but also safe and responsive to environmental concerns, and they also need to think about end-of-life issues that affect how people perceive their products.

Egger Wood Products, an international wood products manufacturer with a new factory in North Carolina, has taken a broad view of all of that to make sure sustainability is accounted for in the company’s environmental cycle.

According to a statement on the company’s website, “We stand for the responsible use of wood. As in nature, we also organize our processes in cycles that conserve resources. Our focus is on our closed material cycle.”

 

Sourcing wood
That cycle begins with original sourcing of materials including new wood from the forest, recycled wood, and sawmill waste.
“We protect the climate and natural resources by sourcing wood regionally, directly supporting local economies and minimizing transportation emissions,” said Olivia Dawson, marketing and communication specialist. “Our wood comes from 100 percent verified legal and controlled sources. We prioritize the use of recycled wood and sawmill by-products, ensuring every part of the timber lifecycle contributes positively to our sustainability goals.”

When sourcing fresh wood for production, Egger prefers to purchase regional wood from certified forests. That ensures that the management practices of a certified forestry operation meet the minimum requirements of national forestry laws and the requirements of the respective certification system.

“Wood is the most important raw material for Egger,” according to an environmental brochure produced by the company. “If we were to allow the destructive exploitation of forests, we would endanger our own existence in the long term.”

Egger uses what it describes as a “due diligence system” to be confident of compliance with legal and social standards throughout its supply chains. This due diligence system is certified according to recognized supply chain standards. That compliance is also audited by recognized monitoring companies and confirmed accordingly.

“We create transparency with our manufacturer’s declaration on the sustainable procurement of wood (VRG270),” according to a statement on their website. “The sustainability values listed in it have been verified by a third party via the new ISO 38200.”

 

Efficient production
A big part of Egger’s sustainability efforts is maintaining high levels of efficiency at its plants around the world. The company relies on internationally certified energy and environmental management systems in accordance with ISO 14001. The company is in an ongoing effort to obtain that rating for all of its plants.

German and British Egger plants in Brilon, Bevern, Gifhorn, Bünde, Marienmünster, Wismar, Hexham and Barony are certified according to ISO 50001. The standard was introduced in 2011 and measures the management of energy flows.

Efficient use of materials is also crucial. As part of that effort, last year Egger purchased Timberpak in Charlotte, North Carolina. Timberpak focuses on recycling construction and pallet wood. The facility supplies Egger’;s Lexington, North Carolina, plant with recycled materials for particleboard products.

“This acquisition will not only serve an important role in bolstering our sustainability initiatives here in North America, but will also better position us in key markets as we continue to expand and grow,” said Markus Frevert, plant manager for production at Egger. “Timberpak will process post-consumer recycled materials to be used in the production of particleboard and thermally fused laminate products at our Lexington, North Carolina, manufacturing plant. This diverts resources that would have otherwise gone to landfills.”

Egger processes waste wood from only furniture, pallets, wooden packaging materials, construction and demolition that meets the requirements of the applicable directives and inspection systems. Material is also inspected visually and contaminated wood is separated for thermal use. Large volumes of by-products and recyclable wood are generated by the plants. The company upgrades those materials or uses them to generate environmentally friendly heat and electricity.

At least seven Egger plants around the world have their own biomass power facilities. By using energy from biomass, Egger claims it avoids approximately 746,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Company officials report roughly three-quarters of Egger’s CO2 emissions for energy generation come from renewable, CO2-neutral fuels.

 

Healthy homes
As a major producer of panel products, Egger pays close attention to concerns about formaldehyde, which has been a focus of environmental regulations affecting composite and plywood panels.

According to the company’s environmental statement, Egger works against trivializing the risks of formaldehyde, supporting and shaping both national and international processes that deal with the topic of formaldehyde and indoor air quality. All Egger products fall below the limits for the European formaldehyde class E1. Some also meet the stricter requirements of national laws, such as those in the USA and Japan. Most chipboard uses glues containing formaldehyde. Manufacturers have been able to reduce emissions over the past 20 years. Formaldehyde-free glues such as polymer diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI) are technically mature, but their availability is limited. In addition, they require a great deal of effort to ensure occupational safety during processing and thus lead to higher end prices.

Egger also knows consumers are concerned about how finished products might give off harmful gasses in the home. To that end Egger has the VOCs of its products regularly checked according to the latest standards. Studies show that wood-based materials do not damage lung tissue, even at high VOC concentrations. The naturally occurring aldehydes and carboxylic acids in wood are harmless as well, according to the company.

 

Transparent and accountable
From designers to builders to consumers, throughout the supply chain, people today are asking questions about sustainability and managing waste. Egger strives to be transparent with all of its environmental efforts and produces Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to fully inform manufacturers and end-users.

These documents are also important when manufacturers and fabricators are using Egger products as part of a project that has sustainability certification requirements. EPDs are available for all of Egger’s products. Modules are designated, from the raw material extraction and manufacturing to the disposal of a product. 

The core element of every EPD is the environmental performance assessment, which quantifies key environmental effects on climate, soils and waterbodies.

You can learn more about Egger’s environmental efforts at egger.com.