The Environmental Benefits of Decorative Wall Panels

Many wall panels are green products manufactured entirely from 100% recyclable raw materials. When it comes to handmade wall panels, many are made from recycled materials such as glass, cloth, plastic, which would have been otherwise thrown away.

3D Wall Panels and Bagasse
The latest 3D wall panels are manufactured from bagasse, a green material made out of crushed sugarcane stalks that remain after the sugar is extracted. Sugarcane is a top renewable resource which can be harvested several times a year, and which has an excellent yield. Its waste, crushed stalks, can be made into bagasse instead of being burned, thus helping conserve energy and create green products. Bagasse is 100% recycled and 100% biodegradable, making it an ideal material for wall panels.

Handmade Wall Panels
Handmade wall panels are usually the creation of creative artists who have set up their own studio, and who employ teams of workers. While the panels they make are not necessarily recyclable, they are often made from recycled materials that would have otherwise gone to waste. Some materials that handmade wall panel makers frequently use are bamboo, glass, plastic, wood, felt, and ceramic.

9 Environmental Benefits of Decorative Wall Panels:

• Often made from 100% recyclable materials coming from renewable sources like sugarcane stalks.
• In case of handmade products, sometimes made from recycled materials that would have otherwise been thrown away.
• Easy fixing on any surface reduces the need for building work, which in its turn eliminates use of non-green products.

Easy fixing also eliminates the need for drilling, cutting electricity costs.

Eliminate the need for engineering reports which often require much paperwork, thus reducing paper usage.

• In the case of outdoor decorative wall panels, high resistance to weather ensures extensive product lifetime, thus reducing the need for building work, which is not only costly, but can also have a negative impact on the local environment.
• The strength and durability of high-quality decorative wall panels reduces the need for frequent internal decoration, which normally requires materials that are not green.
• The fire-resistance and damp- and weather-proofness of many decorative wall panels makes them extremely hard wearing, thus reducing the need for constant replacement and conserving resources.
• Many products are reusable, and can be removed, painted, and reinstalled in other settings, again minimising resource usage.

In conclusion, decorative wall panels have many environmental benefits, for residential as well as corporate use. To get the maximum benefit when buying decorative wall panels, choose high-quality products and look for the green product emblem on the manufacturer’s website.

Why Use Composite Panels Instead of Timber

Wood panels enhance the look of interior spaces, adding elegance, warmth and natural beauty to homes and offices. The demand for construction timber, however, has led to indiscriminate logging activities that contribute to global warming, cause the extinction of wood species and wreak irreparable damage to the environment. Innovative solutions such as composite panels are ideal ways of incorporating the aesthetics of timber without the harmful consequences on the environment.

Eco Wood panel made from composite material

About composite wood panels

Composite panels containing wood, also known as engineered wood composites, are typically made of wood fibres or sawdust obtained from real hardwood which may be shredded or ground to a fine pulp. The extracted fibres are then dried and mixed with epoxy or other binding agent and formed into sheets under high levels of heat and pressure. The resulting products may be known in the market as particle board or hardboard.

Advantages over timber

Less timber used: The engineering process behind composite wood panels uses smaller dimensions of timber as raw material, yet it can be manufactured to create larger dimension composite decorative wall panels.

Lighter than timber: The dried wood fibres that are found in the composite material carry less moisture and weigh less than ordinary wood materials. With their lighter weight, shipping and installation costs are lower, and many homeowners are able to work with composites using ordinary tools at home.

Stronger than timber: Its lighter weight, however, does not make it a weak material. Without the breaks in the natural fibre of ordinary timber, composite wood panels tend to be stronger and are suitable for standing walls, furniture frames and other heavy duty interior purposes.

Eco friendly: Composites use only smaller dimensions of ordinary wood, allowing manufacturers to obtain raw materials from smaller trees which are easily replanted for sustainability.

Resistant to warping: The manufacturing process involves heat and pressure which leave the composite products with low moisture content, making them resistant to warping, twisting and distortion. The finished product ordinarily retains its shape and size.

Depending on the manufacturing process used, composite wood panels may possess high density core resin material with proprietary acrylic coverings for a wide range of durability, strength and design options. High quality composite wood panel systems are ideal for indoor use although more high quality panel systems may be engineered for exterior use as well. Composite wall panels are readily available in the market and may be sourced online.