Particle board

Particleboard, or chipboard, is today the most used wood products in furniture. It is an engineered material made out of woodchips bound together with resins into panels at high temperature and pressure. Particleboard products are known for problematic offgassing of formaldehyde gas. However the sustainability profile of particleboard has improved in the past two decades, thanks to stricter regulation. Since recently formaldehyde-free particleboard is also available.

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The life cycle	Pro	Con
	Low footprint Particleboard is made out of sawmill waste from the production of cut wood.	High energy Manufacturing of the resins and the panels themselves require a lot of energy. Depending on where it is produced, it is around the same as MDF or plywood. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that have low embodied energy Bamboo stems Construction site wood Reclaimed wood Scaffolding wood Second hand particle board Used pallets	Tips Look for E0, formaldehyde-free or very-low-formaldehyde particleboard to be safe. Alternatively make sure you use E1 quality, that’s the minimum legal requirement in the EU and other countries.

	Low cost Particle board is popular because it is the cheapest wood board material	Toxicity Dust from working with particleboard can be carcinogenic or create respiratory issues, because of the resins contained in the material. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that are non toxic Bamboo panels Bamboo stems OSB Scaffolding wood Softwood	Tips When working with particleboard that is not formaldehyde-free, very-low-formaldehyde or E0 there are dangerous dusts in the workplace. Use masks and extraction equipment to avoid breathing them.

		Toxicity Unless it is E0 or formaldehyde-free, particleboard offgasses hazardous emissions for the first 1-3 years after production Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that are non toxic Bamboo panels Bamboo stems Construction site wood Northern hardwood OSB Scaffolding wood Second hand particle board Softwood Short lifespan Particleboard lasts shorter than massive wood or plywood. It damages quickly with moisture, and it is less resistant to weight and scratches. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that have a long lifespan Northern hardwood Scaffolding wood Tropical hardwood

		Difficult recycling The only treatment possible for waste particleboard is incineration. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that are easy to recycle Bamboo stems Northern hardwood Scaffolding wood Softwood Tropical hardwood Difficult reuse Particleboard is hard to reuse because it damages easily and it cannot be planed or cut without exposing the chips. Show Alternatives » Alternatives materials that are easy to reuse Northern hardwood Reclaimed wood Scaffolding wood Tropical hardwood