Spread the word on timber’s qualities

It seems there is no end to the problems besetting the panel manufacturing industry, which is just trying to make and sell panels (preferably at a profit) to satisfy a perceived demand for environmentally-friendly products. If only it were that easy.

Formaldehyde is one of those problems which just won't go away and biomass energy generation is another.

At the European Panel Federation's (EPF) annual general assembly, held this year in France, the subject of formaldehyde reared its ugly head again.

It appears the French authorities are taking a very hard-line view of formaldehyde, including a proposal to classify it as a category 1A carcinogen at the EU level, in spite of ample evidence to suggest that this would be grossly overstating the case.

The European regulatory body, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemical substances), also has its eyes on formaldehyde classification and restriction, while on the other side of the argument, the EPF and lobby group Formacare are doing their best to introduce some moderation and fact-based common sense into the discussion.

Meanwhile in the US, the CARB (California Air Resources Board) regulations concerning formaldehyde are becoming increasingly draconian and a US national regulation, generated by the Environmental Protection Agency, is on its way.

The resin industry, working closely with the panel industry, has dramatically reduced formaldehyde emissions from panels over the years and E-zero panels are now widely available, while E1 panels are the norm pretty much worldwide. Still that is not enough, apparently.

If permitted levels are driven down too far, then wood itself becomes the problem as formaldehyde is an essential natural component of all living cells, plant and animal - and wood.

What a gift that would be to wood's competitors such as steel and plastic, both of which cannot compete on environmental grounds in terms of extraction and processing; and both of which spend a lot more money on promoting themselves than does the wood products industry.

On a more positive note, I have just attended the IPPS Master Class in which a very good presentation on life cycle analysis (LCA) was given by a prominent expert on the subject, Richard Murphy, distinguished research fellow of Imperial College, London. Dr Murphy said that, on an LCA basis alone, "there are very positive arguments for why we should use wood products".

What the industry must do is get those arguments across to the right people - the decision makers at government level everywhere.

As part of that process, the EPF is to hold its second exhibition in the European Parliament building in Brussels from December 3-7. It needs your support.