Australian-American Houses

Are Paper Countertops A Good, Green Choice?

The answer is a solid YES!

Finding an eco-friendly countertop that also looks great is much easier to do than you might think. There are a few different types of “eco-friendly” countertop materials on the market:

• Terrazo (crushed stone and glass that is set in a cement or epoxy substrate and then buffed until smooth)
• Recycled Glass Tile
• Re-purposed Stainless Steel
• Recycled Plastic (made from a variety of materials such as yogurt containers; amongst others)
• Wood (if sourced locally from a FSC-certified source)
• Recycled Aluminum (from dismantled airplane wings)
• Paper Composite

It’s that last option, paper composite, that is the subject of this post. I had a Richlite paper countertop sample placed in my hand the other day and I decided that I had to find out more about Richlite and some other brands that are similar:

PaperstoneShektastoneEcoTop

To be fair, I will be posting articles on those types mentioned above in the near future. Check back and I’ll have a link to each. For now, I want to concentrate on Richlite.

That little sample of Richlite in the photo (above) is rock solid. It definitely took me by surprise.

Incidentally, the sample shown above is from their new Cascade line.

Besides having a variety of solid colors from which to choose, there are currently three styles of the Cascade line available:

• Little Tahoma
• Rainier
• Hood

They are all named after the mountains local to their manufacturing facility in Tacoma, Washington.

Richlite is not a new player in this arena. They were established in 1943 producing natural fiber composites for the aerospace industry (tooling), marine (fiberglass reinforcement) and industrial markets in the 1950′s for companies such as Boeing and Boston Whaler.

Over time, they have expanded their product line to include:

• countertops
• indoor wall cladding / wainscot
• work surfaces
• wall caps
• stair treads
• architectural features
• skatepark surfaces
• cutting boards

Why Would You Choose A Paper Countertop?

(speaking of Richlite specifically here)

• It’s green!
• It’s Greenguard-certified for indoor use in residential, school and institutional environments.
• It’s heat resistant up to 350° F.
• There are several solid colors from which to choose.
• It’s much harder than wood and is scratch-resistant, but it can be scratched, gouged, scorched or stained like many other countertop choices if you choose to abuse it.
• It’s food safe. It does not support the colonization of bacteria.
• No traceable formaldehyde.
• Whatever color(s) it is on the outside is what is on the inside. It is a true solid surface.
• It can be sanded for repair with a Scotch Brite pad.
• No off-gassing! The compounds inside are chemically cross-linked during the manufacturing process and locked within the material. This creates a homogenous material, according to their website.
• Richlite paper countertops help contribute to LEED points.
• 99% of the VOC’s are incinerated. The heat from the incineration is used to dry the material. They call that the WE™ (waste-to-energy) manufacturing process. It equates to a much lower carbon footprint.
• There is no hazardous waste during the entire manufacturing process.
• It’s super-strong and can be cantilevered further than laminate and other countertop materials. It can also span further distances.
• You can choose to have different edge treatments.
• It’s sustainable.

That question sounds a bit misleading because it’s not just ordinary paper that they are using to produce Richlite. The paper is purchased from FSC-certified sources and/or derived from post-consumer recycled content.

The two types of countertops that are derived from post-consumer content are designated by their product name. Their r50 line consists of  50% old corrugated cardboard (consumer waste) and r100 recycled paper (post-consumer waste). Both are FSC-certified. Quoting…

What is phenolic resin?

This is best answered by quoting their technical writers…

• You want to get technical?
• Even more technical FAQ.
• Environmental FAQ.

All in all, paper countertops are one of the greenest choices you can make in the market today. The added benefits of durability, cleanliness, color choices, sustainability and versatility should put it right at, or near, the top of the list for environmentally-conscious consumers.

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