Smith & Fong's Plyboo flooring
Smith & Fong Plyboo said it has begun converting its plants in Taiwan and China to use formaldehyde-free manufacturing processes. Plans call for the new, greener Plyboo bamboo flooring to be available to the U.S. market by the end of the year.
Smith & Fong’s president Dan Smith noted that the company has developed a proprietary technology that will allow the bamboo flooring maker to create formaldehyde-free flooring without sacrificing quality. “We are committed to a wholesale conversion that will eliminate urea formaldehyde from our products,” he said.
The announcement comes shortly after the California Air Resources Board voted to implement a two-pronged approach to reduce and then eliminate the use of formaldehyde in composite wood products. Smith & Fong is headquartered in San Francisco.
Before the new standards were passed earlier this year “Plyboo had already surpassed the CARB regulations’ most stringent emissions levels,” Smith added. “But there is no reason formaldehyde cannot be eliminated completely from adhesives while maintaining quality and efficiency. That is exactly what we’re doing here.”
Founded in 1989, Smith & Fong offers a range of bamboo flooring, bamboo plywood, coconut palm flooring and plywood products.
