Views: 242 Author: Jasmine Publish Time: 2023-07-31 Origin: Site
A sustainable building material is plywood. But only if it is created, moved, and utilized in a safe and responsible manner. Therefore, a question to constantly ask is, "How sustainable is this plywood?" while sourcing plywood for your project.
The question "How do I choose and use plywood in a way that makes it more sustainable?" is another one you should ask yourself.
You must first be aware of the environmental effects of plywood across the key phases of its life cycle, from beginning to end, in order to respond to both questions.
Plywood goes through five phases throughout its lifetime. And plywood production is more sustainable the less damage it causes to the environment throughout each of these steps.
The procurement of raw materials is the first step in the life cycle of commercial plywood. Thin layers of wood veneer, often supplied from various tree species like pine, fir, or hardwoods, are the main component of commercial plywood.
Logging or tree harvesting are required to get raw wood for veneers. These are now frequently obtained from industrial tree farms, a more environmentally friendly forestry method that still satisfies the world's need for plywood. This preserves more of the world's natural forests when done sensibly.
Unsustainable timber. These are costly or rare woods, such as some varieties of mahogany, rosewood, or sandalwood. These are occasionally sourced by businesses from natural forests that are vital to the world's ability to store carbon. Such unsustainable activities result in the erosion of topsoil, the loss of biodiversity, the destruction of habitats (both on land and in neighboring bodies of water), and hastened climate change.
Unreliable supplies of raw wood. Some regions of the globe are known for having ineffective forestry management practices and for not putting environmental protection legislation into practice. Be wary if plywood is purchased from these locations at lower costs than those of their rivals, even if it is manufactured from more widely used materials (such as birch, pine, oak, mahogany, or teak). The raw wood may have been obtained illegally through significant deforestation. Human rights violations and unfair labor practices could potentially be involved (more on that later).
The plywood production sector has the largest negative effects on the environment.
Raw timber logs are rotary cut into thin layers of wood known as veneers after being initially stripped of their outer bark and soaked in hot water. The veneers are stacked together and joined with adhesives when they have sufficiently cured. This is done under intense heat and pressure. The plywood panels that are produced after trimming and sanding are consistent in thickness and smooth.
Materials can be moved at any stage of the plywood life cycle. But it often happens just before and after the production of plywood.
Moving materials might entail a broad range of distances and transit techniques, depending on where the original timber supply was.
Some markets for plywood are lucky. All of their sawmills, plywood production facilities, storage facilities, wholesale or retail dealers, and various customers are situated in the same state or nation. These reduce the amount of labor required to transport plywood.
However, in order to get to different suppliers, building sites, and individual users, timber logs, veneers, adhesives, and completed plywood sheets sometimes need to travel over vast distances, sometimes even across continents, via container ship, freight train, or cargo truck.
