WoodDigest.com |

The world is growing greener by the day. Manufacturers of furniture and fixtures for commercial interiors know this well, of course, and residential furniture and cabinetry is quickly following suit. Green is not just a trend; it’s the new norm in all furniture in all segments.

When it comes to particleboard and TFM panels, there are several ways to make it green – using FSC certified raw materials, recycled wood fiber, high-quality binder resins, and very efficient manufacturing methods. When a panel producer incorporates one or two of these steps, you’d call it good progress. When one incorporates them all, you’d call it Nu Green, from Uniboard.

Launched in 2007, Nu Green sets a new benchmark for environmentally friendly panels.

Some specifics:

• No urea formaldehyde is added in the manufacturing process
• Very low formaldehyde emissions – less than 0.01 ppm
• Made from 100% pre-consumer recycled wood fiber, saving trees and minimizing landfill
• FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified
• EPP (Environmentally Preferable Product) certified by the Composite Panel Association
• Exceeds CARB Phase 2 standards
• Contributes to achieving up to six LEED credits

“The formaldehyde emissions from Nu Green, at 0.01 ppm, are very, very low,” says Lise Plante, Product Manager for Uniboard’s Panel Business Unit. “That’s very near natural oak emissions, which are 0.009 ppm. Some other ‘no-urea-formaldehyde-added’ particleboard panels, on the other hand, can emit up to 0.14 ppm.

“Our emissions are so low because of our superior resin binder system,” says Plante. “The chemical bond between the phenol and formaldehyde components is much stronger than in other formaldehyde-based binder systems.”

In addition to being the greenest board on the market, Nu Green is available in all 85 of Uniboard’s melamine colors and designs, and in a variety of dimensions and thicknesses. It also complies with the M2 Grade ANSI standard for moisture-resistant glue, thanks again to its resin technology.

Nu Green is manufactured at Uniboard's facility in Sayabec, Quebec. It is composed mostly of spruce, pine and fir, all recognized for their yield and light weight, and its low density gives it a major advantage.

 “We’re seeing it increasingly specified for commercial applications, universities and schools, and hospitals and clinics,” says Plante. “Of course, it’s popular for projects seeking to achieve LEED credits. But it is also being specified for projects that strive just to be ‘healthy,’ like a large condominium project currently under construction in Toronto.