The Ecological Panel, the only particleboard in the world certified made of 100% post-consumer wood, through an economically  and ecologically sustainable process.

The virtuous production circle
of The Ecological Panel

Qualitative controls on the incoming wood

Every year the companies of the Ecological Panel recover 1,5 millions of tons of waste wood in Italy and Europe, thanks to a network of 30 collection centres. The collection is mostly by rail to reduce the impact of the transports on the environment. Strict quality controls are made on the wood to guarantee chemical and physic qualifications in observance to the highest security standards.

The control limits that the companies imposed to themselves are stricter than those imposed by European laws [CR 13887 - Childhood articles and EN 71-3 - Toys Security].

In particular, the companies use wood from:

  • Pallets
  • Chippings
  • Old furniture
  • Pruning of trees
  • Wood packagings/boxes
  • Processing residues
  • Fruit boxes

 

Ecotechnology

Once overcome all the quality controls, the material is washed. A sort of pre-selection to obtain, first of all, the best part (90%) destined to the grinding for the production of particleboard and, secondary, the wastes (only 10%), sent to combustion to produce energy for the process. In fact, combustion is conceived only as an alternative to the primary goal of recycling. Only the wastes of the post-consumer wood are burnt for the cogeneration of electrical and thermal energy for the process. In this way the companies turn to account the use of materials that otherwise would be sent to the landfill. After being ground, the wood is sent to the dryer and then to the real selection, that divides the wood destined to the production from all other materials. Iron, plastic, glass, paper, etc. are collected separately and sent to their recycle centres. At this point the ground wood is pressed and compacted with the addition of eco-compatible resins developed internally.

The Ecological Panel

The pure, clean wood is now ready to be transformed into the Ecological Panel, a strong, resistant product, realized also in the fire-resistant and waterproof versions. At the same time, the creative laboratories of the companies study the peculiarities of the most valuable woods to reproduce them with photographic precision on the panel facing. More than 600 furniture manufacturers, Italian and foreigners, use the Ecological Panel for their product. The Ecological Panel, besides about 20 certifications, received also the FSC certification (certifying for the first time that the product is made 100% of post consumer wood).

The Ecological Panel is used for:

  • furniture
  • coatings
  • fireproof compositions
  • walls
  • furniture for public offices (schools, offices, hospitals, libraries, comunities, etc.)

Furniture manufactured using 100% post-consumer wood can in turn be recycled creating a virtuous recycle-reuse circle: the re-use of wood is a self-supporting process with an infinity of cycles.

Ecological Panel