Understanding The Difference Between MDF And Re-Board®

As businesses around the world work to be more sustainable, “greener” options are becoming a favoured solution among business owners and marketing teams. Manufacturers and suppliers are pivoting to eco-friendly products, stopping environmental catastrophes in their tracks and helping the world to breathe a sigh of relief.

Only, the story isn’t that simple.

Many products that bill themselves as eco-friendly still wind up as trash, pollute our air or contain chemicals that seep into our groundwater. In fact, attractive terms like “Made of 100% recycled material” can be just as misleading as when products label themselves as organic.

This problem extends to the materials that can go into an exhibition or point-of-sale displays. Claims of sustainability are everywhere now that brands and artists recognise the importance of proving themselves as planet-conscious.

In this article, we’re pitching truly sustainable materials against those that fall short of the mark. Specifically, we’ll ask crucial questions about medium-density fibreboard, or ‘MDF’ – what is it made of, what’s the environmental impact of MDF, and how does it fare against products like Re-Board®. Afterward, you can make an informed decision on what products will best suit your needs and sustainability goals.

What is MDF?

MDF is a popular construction material made from recycled chunks of wood and binding agents, which are all subjected to high pressure and temperatures. Since its development in the USA back in the 1960s, MDF has become a very popular material, used everywhere from furniture and flooring to pop-up exhibition displays. 

Your average MDF board is low-cost, sturdier than particle board, and can be manufactured to resemble wood as if harvested directly from a tree. You’ll also encounter a lot of suppliers who play up the fact that its primary component is recycled wood – which must mean MDF is good for the environment. Right? 

Hold that thought for now! 

What is Re-Board®?

First engineered in the ‘90s by Swedish inventor Karl-Gustav Ericsson, Re-board® is still a relatively new player in the market for construction materials. It’s a uniquely strong and versatile material created exclusively using wood from FSC-certified forests, where logging operations are vetted by independent bodies and deemed to be fully sustainable.

A greater number of marketers and producers are now becoming aware of Re-board® and its potential for displays, retail activations, and POS stands. Recent years have seen big names like Sephora, Adidas, Puma, Fossil, Calvin Klein, and Vivienne Westwood turn to Re-board® as their choice material for creating installations, structures, and even furniture.

Strength and versatility are major features of the branding behind Re-board®, although its real pulling power comes in its being sustainable, making it one of the strongest contenders in the market for eco-friendly crafting materials.

Which is More ‘Eco’ - MDF or Re-Board®?

Both MDF and Re-board® products work recycling into their identity. MDF makes the accurate claim that all wood used in its production is recycled, which at a glance would make the material seem like a prime eco-friendly option.

However, there are several factors that make Re-board® the more environmentally safe pick out of the two.

Is MDF Sustainable?

Yes and no.

When you consider what MDF is made of – recycled wood fibres – it’s clear why most people think it’s sustainable. Certainly, MDF has sustainable aspects because those recycled wood fibres help reduce waste and the need for new timber. It repurposes wood byproducts that might otherwise go unused and contributes to a more resource-efficient production. However, while MDF uses recycled content, its production often involves glues that release chemicals such as formaldehyde and other VOCs, which can impact air quality. So, MDF has sustainable aspects but is not recyclable compared to more eco-friendly options like Re-board®.

The Difference in Input Materials

With Re-board®, consumers can rest assured that the forestry involved is performed responsibly, thanks to certification by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This means that the material is created with no long-term forest depletion involved, but rather,r meaningful efforts to regrow trees as wood is harvested.

Conversely, the fact that MDF is made of recycled wood doesn’t mean it’s necessarily eco-friendly.

To fully explain why this is the case, we need to understand that the criteria for what makes a material recyclable are more complex than you may think. Not all paper and wood products are recyclable — many are created or treated using chemicals that make it impossible to recycle them into something useful.

Unfortunately, MDF falls under this category because the vast majority produced uses formaldehyde for binding, a well-known hazard that underlies the material and prevents it from being recycled safely.

Despite the fact that formaldehyde-free MDF is now available, consumers continue to buy regular MDF – and recycling centres continue to accept it simply because it’s too difficult to distinguish from the formaldehyde-free version. And you can likely guess what happens next… Instead of the formaldehyde-free MDF being recycled, both types of material wind up in landfills, where the formaldehyde eventually seeps into the earth and finds its way into groundwater.

MDF is far from being a sustainable product despite being created from recyclable materials. It’s a frustrating fact to be sure, but one that decision-makers need to keep in mind as they scan the market for materials to fit their needs.

Re-Board® and Recycling

Re-Board®, on the other hand, is 100% recyclable back into paper since the water-based adhesive that goes into the board is easily soluble and much safer for the environment. It’s so easy to recycle, in fact, that we at NEXT Printing go the extra mile and commit to a higher degree of involvement with the process.

In order to cut costs, some waste management centres will lump paper in along with general waste, contaminating it with non-recyclable trash and preventing it from being recycled. At this stage, the only viable outcome is that the paper goes into a landfill and then decomposes instead of cycling back into a circular economy.

Since there’s no guarantee that the average waste management facility will sort paper responsibly, we’ve completed our due diligence created a strict recycling program that ensures our paper products make it to the recycling step.

With trusted recycling partnerships in place, we can ensure that all Re-Board® is properly bailed and then sold to a business that will ensure it gets recycled. From there, it can be used to create new products such as corrugated boxes for packaging. 

Conclusion

As the saying goes, “Not all that glitters is gold”, so too is not all that is advertised as “green” is eco-friendly – and the MDF environmental impact is more damaging than you might think. While printed MDF board may look great for marketing and events purposes, businesses wondering how to recycle MDF need to understand that this isn’t possible.

We all have a part to play in raising the bar for sustainability and supporting business practices that preserve the planet instead of ruining it. Taking the time to understand the difference between hype and genuine eco-friendly practices will go a long way towards establishing your commitment to sustainability. Stay informed, be proactive, and choose sustainable options like Re-board® the next time you’re in the market for eco-friendly printing options.

Let’s Talk Eco-Friendly Displays