Environmental Approach
ESG compliance
As part of environmental social management (ESG), Plexwood is audited annually with the Milieubarometer® of the Stimular Foundation. As wood-related materials also capture CO₂ sustainably, our production cycle is currently already ≥ neutral
The Stimular Foundation is a specialist in measuring the environmental and climate impact of business operations, of products and in product chains. It has developed several concrete tools, including the Milieubarometer®, to give companies, among others, insight into their own environmental impact, including a carbon footprint, life cycle analysis (LCA) and CO chain analysis
Our wood sourcing
Plexwood is made of production-based wood that is harvested predominantly from forests certified for sustainable management. These forests are managed either by national regulations and legislation, or their sustainability is based on a quality seal (i.e. an organization regulates sustainable management practices)
Of all common building materials wood is the most energy-efficient, and more important, trees are a continuous production source and they do not release polluting residues into the environment
Trees contribute naturally to a cleaner climate by removing an average of 0.89 - 1.0 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere for every m³ of growth and wood is able to secure CO₂ in a sustainable manner
Production trees are cut down within 20 - 120 years on average, production forests are managed sustainably when new trees are replanted (on the same land)
Most of the woods that Plexwood uses are trees that are known to produce good (soft) wood within a relatively short period of time
Our production
Plexwood uses virgin wood veneers, veneering a tree is a very efficient way of using a natural material, leaving virtually no waste in the process
No formaldehyde-based glue is used in our production process
Likewise, we do not use any Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in our production process in order to improve the quality of the wood; instead, we take advantage of the naturally strong qualities of end grain wood
Plexwood has been used for LEED and BREEAM projects in the past, and meets the cradle-to-cradle qualifications, when a project needs to meet certain technical or sustainability standards, this is almost always possible, please contact us to discuss your options
Provided it is treated properly, wood is a highly sustainable material with a long lifespan, and Plexwood in particular is excellently suited for reuse, and features exceptional insulating properties and, finally, can be recycled safely at the end of its life cycle into biomass
Our factory
More than 99 % of the waste from the production process is recycled, the remaining 1 % is waste that is still eligible for safe recycling
In our production circle wood waste is used for heating the factory, and all packaging material that enters our factory is re-used for shipments
We continue to develop new ways to limit our carbon footprint, for instance by turning our factory and office completely ‘green’, by installing solar panels in combination with green roofs, creating a healthier, safer working environment for everybody
Positive climate impact
Plexwood realised the budget, together with Foundation De Wilde Ganzen, for the planting of 100.000 trees (approx. 100 ha) in the highlands of Peru, an initiative of the HoPe Foundation, and technically supervised by Pachamama Raymi
With this, Plexwood is taking the initiative for the next step, by structurally striving to also concretely achieve a positive climate impact as an organization in a general sense
For further information, please see our press releases