Super E0 and E0 formaldehyde emission ratings

Our A Bond products (Marine, Exterior, Structural) are certified to Super E0, the lowest emission rating obtainable. Our C Bond products (Interior) have an E0 rating, the second lowest emission rating. (Download our Formaldehyde Emissions certificate.)

What Is Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is an important ingredient in the adhesives used in plywood products. It is also found in many other commonly used products. Formaldehyde is a colourless strong smelling gas. Formaldehyde occurs naturally in the environment and is emitted by processes such as combustion and decay, and is emitted naturally by all timber species.

Health Effects

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) a division of the World Health Organization has reclassified formaldehyde from a group 2A suspected carcinogen to a known carcinogen. It must be stressed that the cancer causing properties of formaldehyde are only evident at very high concentrations, hundreds of times greater than levels emitted from plywood products.

Formaldehyde Emission Labelling

The Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA) has for a number of years been monitoring formaldehyde emissions from its members’ products through testing conducted at their NATA National Testing Laboratory to the most stringent Japanese regulations.

To ensure the users of EWPAA certified products have confidence that they are using plywood with the lowest possible formaldehyde emissions the EWPAA has introduced an industry wide formaldehyde testing and labelling program. All EWPAA certified mills are required to forward formaldehyde test samples to the EWPAA National Laboratory on a regular basis for formaldehyde emission testing. On the basis of these laboratory tests certified mills are permitted to brand a formaldehyde emission class on their products as detailed below.