Research Flowers for Green Composites

Forest products companies are teaming with university researchers to develop environmentally friendlier wood adhesives and wood-based composites at a new facility in Oregon.

The National Science Foundation has chosen Oregon State University, Corvallis, Or., and Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., to lead a new IndustrylUniversity Cooperative Research Center focused on renewable products.

"Composite products allow for more efficient, sophisticated and competitive uses of wood, and they're the

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future of the wood products industry," said Fred Kamke, professor of wood science and engineering in OSU's College of Forestry and site director of the new center.

The $2.2 million, five-year research initiative will facilitate the work of six faculty members and three graduate students per year at OSU, similar research initiatives at Virginia Tech, and collaborative work with eight private companies: Weyerhaeuser, JeldWen, Willamette Valley Co., Georgia Pacific Chemicals, Hexion Specialty

Chemical, Ashland. Arclin and Henkel.

"These companies want to work with us, in part, to speed fundamental research related to their business," said Kamke. "But they also see the value in supporting the research and education of graduate students and young scientists who will be their future employees."

Each of the eight companies will contribute $30,000 per year to support the program. NSF will contribute $130,000 per year in a five-year, renewable grant, and Oregon BEST (Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies) will provide 975O00 in matching funds.

Most of the research will be completed at OSU or Virginia Tech, but some projects will be subcontracted to other partner universities, including the University of British Columbia and the University of Maine.

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"Wood products are now a global, intensely competitive industry, and we believe that advanced research will help keep the U.S. at the forefront of that industry," said Kamke, who holds the Jeld-Wen chair of wood-based composites science at OSU. "This will help both existing and new companies stay competitive while they create innovative new products andjobs."

Wilsonart Dumps Floor Line

Wilsonart International is getting out of the high pressure laminate flooring business.

The manufacturer is discontinuing its Wilsonart Flooring product line, as of Oct. 29, and shutting down rhe plant in Temple, Tx., that manufactures flooring, as well as cast sinks, Dec.3.

Wilsonart Flooring is the only flooring of its type still made in the U.S.-and one of the most expensive.

The company is reportedly attempting to sell the laminate flooring business and factory.

Lowe's Makes Recycling Easy

Lowe's has installed permanent recycling bins in its stores for customers to dispose of plastic shopping bags, rechargeable batteries up to ll lbs., old cell phones, and unbroken compact fluorescent lamps. The chain will then haul the items to recycling centers to reclaim usable materials.

"The recycling centers make it easier for customers to make a difference," said Michael Chenard, Lowe's director of environmental affairs. "Recycling is a simple way to help rcduee unnceessary weste in ()ur eommunities."

LOWE'S store entrances are addlng new recyclinq bins for customers to drop off rechargeabld batteries, CFLs, cell phones, and plastic shopping bags in one centralized location.

Since 2004, the chain has Provided in-store battery recycling stations that have diverted more than I million lbs' of rechargeable batteries from local landfills. This sprin-e, an appliancerecycling program that includes free haul-away was expanded to all stores.

Lowe's began recycling of shipping and packaging materials five ycars ago. In 2009, the chain recycled more than 166,000 tons of wood Pallets, 147.000 tons of cardboard. and nearly 400 tons of shrinkwraP. Last fall. Lowe's installed smart controllcrs on its own landscape-irri-eation systems to rcduce witler con\umPti()n b) a\ much as 50%. To reduce energy consumption. more than 3 million new high-efficiency fluorescent lamps have been installed in 812 stores'