E119 – Sustainable Wood Based Products – Sustainable Homes and Living Season E9

Frances welcomes John Dalla Via from Egger to the podcast this week to talk about sustainable wood based on products. As market leaders in the creation of chipboard with the highest percentage of post-consumer and post-industrial waste, it’s great to understand how leading companies are creating sustainable products across all industries. John outlines what to ask when considering cabinetry and laminate products when sustainability is a core objective. 

John also shares how Egger as a company is part of the UN Global Compact to meet social and ethical milestones too. 

Guest: John Dalla Via

Egger products predominantly use chipboard as their base to produce cabinetry material, flooring and laminate products. They also manufacture eurolight, a thick lightweight composite material with a honeycomb recycled cardboard core. The chipboard they produce are 65% recycled comprising 23% post-consumer waste and 42% post-industrial waste. Egger is the world leader in using recyled and post-consumer waste in their products. 

Egger are leaders in producing their own edging tape that matches in colour and texture..  

Egger’s part in the UN Global Compact supports an end to modern slavery, anti-corruption, sustainability, and best practice throughout the business, along with making sure that as a company they operate sustainably, not just from an environmental perspective but ethically as well.  

Sustainable Products by Egger (materials, post-consumer waste, recycling, waste-management). Egger uses 75% renewable energy in its production plant. 

• R & D Centre – research not only about colours or the finishes, but it’s also  
• the way they use their wood fibres 
• The way they use their resins 
• creating better ways to manufacture  
• Efficiency and sustainability of products  
• Reduce the use of transport trucks 
• Bio-organic that reduces the water and chemical usage by 95% 
• Change forklifts to electric rather than gas 

What sets Egger apart: 

• Post-consumer recycle content 
• Circular economy 
• Biomass 
• Transparency of Egger (sustainability report available for the public) 

Transportation and energy cost of getting a product from Austria to Australia 

• International Marine Organization (where all major shipping lines are all a part of), also signed up to the Paris agreement to reduce CO2 and sulfur.  
• Also have trains at ports to transport across the country.  
• The environmental impact of transporting large quantities of containers from Europe by sea can have less impact than using diesel trucks from one part of Australia to another. 

How to make sure you choose sustainable materials 

• Research about the company / manufacturer of the product  
• 3rd-party certifications 
• High amounts of Recycled Content 
• Post-industrial waste 
• Post-consumer waste 

Useful Links: 

• Egger website: https://www.egger.com/ 
• Forest One – https://www.forest.one/ 
• Incorporating Sustainable Money Savers Into Your Home – https://www.whitepebbleinteriors.com.au/incorporating-sustainable-money-savers-into-your-home/  
• Designing with Sustainable Materials – https://www.whitepebbleinteriors.com.au/designing-with-sustainable-materials/ 

Get FREE access the first three chapters of the ‘Your Forever Home’ book, a practical and helpful guide, to gain insights on how to create a home that will suit your needs for the long term. 

Download here: https://www.whitepebbleinteriors.com.au/download-free-ebook/