STERLINGOSB ZERO HELPING SPECIFIERS AND BUILDERS MEET ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS
West Fraser's SterlingOSB Zero production, Inverness
One OSB product may seem much like any other. In
reality it is worth checking before specifying, especially if you want to score
eco points. When it comes to being green, West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero stands out. Not only is
SterlingOSB
Zero the
only UK-manufactured OSB with zero-added formaldehyde, but it is also net
carbon negative.
OSB, or Oriented Strand Board to give it its full
name, has become ubiquitous and is often used as a substitute for chipboard and
plywood in applications such as flooring, roofing and timber framing. There is
good reason for this. OSB is versatile, easy to use and with high consistency
and board strength has no weak spots. SterlingOSB Zero or ‘Sterling Board’, as it is often known, is one of Europe’s most widely used and trusted structural panels.
In simple terms, OSB is formed of flakes or strands of
timber bonded with resin adhesives in some 50 cross-directional layers. These
are then mechanically pressed to create a structurally engineered board.
Resins used to bind the
flakes of SterlingOSB Zero contain zero-added formaldehyde. With less resin and
more wood, the boards are more environmentally friendly and safer
while
performance is unimpaired.
The other important way that West
Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero can help specifiers and builders towards their
environmental targets is that the boards do not contribute to climate change;
they are certified carbon negative.
In-depth life-cycle assessment of carbon emissions in
buildings is increasingly resulting in the building sector being advised to
design and build with wood. As wood naturally absorbs carbon as part of its
natural life cycle, it is an ideal replacement for other materials with high
levels of embodied carbon such as concrete and steel.
The UK government has pledged to be carbon neutral by
2050. This target will require the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions
down to net
zero.
SterlingOSB Zero products can help the construction industry comply; the net carbon negative status of
the boards can be used by building designers to
off-set the operational emissions of a building.
Every SterlingOSB Zero board removes more carbon from the atmosphere than is emitted during manufacture, locking it up into long term
storage within the board. Per cubic metre, SterlingOSB Zero sequesters 828kg of CO2e. The wood used is
homegrown, minimising carbon emissions from transport while ensuring it is
always available and offers a cost-effective building solution.
West Fraser is a diversified wood products
company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United
Kingdom and Europe. From responsibly sourced and sustainably managed
forest resources, West Fraser produces lumber, engineered wood (OSB, LVL, MDF,
plywood, particleboard), and other products including pulp, newsprint, wood
chips and renewable energy. West Fraser’s products are used in
construction, repair and remodelling, industrial applications, papers, tissue
and box materials.
For further information call 01786 812 921 or visit Uk.westfraser.com