FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound (VOC) that exists as a gas at room temperature. It has many uses, but the majority of the formaldehyde produced is used in chemical production. It is used to produce the thermosetting resins found in composite wood.

Formaldehyde is an allergen that is highly irritating to the skin, eyes, throat and nose. Furthermore, in 2004 the WHO recognized formaldehyde as a carcinogen. That is why EU regulations limit emissions of this chemical from composite wood panels to 0.10 ppm.

On average we spend 90% of our lives indoors. Due to poor air circulation, concentrations of pollutants are 15 times higher indoors than outdoors. One of these pollutants, formaldehyde, is found in 100% of homes.

Evertree solutions are plant-based, sourced from oilseeds like rapeseed and sunflowers. The oil contained within these seeds is extracted through a process known as crushing, after which the resulting oilcakes are collected and used to produce bio-based adhesive solutions.

In Europe, the rapeseed and sunflower seeds Evertree uses come from French farms, in an effort to keep transport-related CO₂ emissions to a minimum.

Crushing is the first step of the process by which cooking oils are produced from oilseeds (primarily sunflowers and rapeseed). It involves crushing and pressing the seeds. The solid residue from the process is known as oilcake.

Evertree is based in Venette, in the Oise department. The oilcakes we use are sourced from the Avril Group crushing plants located in Bassens in the Gironde department and Le Mériot in the Aube department. In Europe, the plant-based resin produced by Evertree is both bio-based and 100% made in France.

The strong “new smell” that most furniture made from pressed wood gives off for many months is actually the smell of formaldehyde. Evertree resin is formaldehyde-free and therefore produces no odor.

Evertree, in association with Panneaux de Corrèze, launched the first application of this bio-based adhesive solution in 2021. MDF Green by Evertree is the first high-performance, bio-based composite wood panel that is 100% made in France.

Composite wood panels are 85-90% wood shavings and 10-15% resin. The fact that an estimated 45 million cubic meters of wood panels are produced in Europe means that three million tons of resin are consumed each year.

Thanks to its manufacturing process, composite wood is isotropic: its technical properties are the same in all directions, making it easier to work with than solid wood, which has a grain to contend with.

MDF panels are made from wood shavings and small trees that cannot be used as solid wood. When this resource optimization is combined with a plant-based resin bonding process, the resulting composite wood is a high-performance, environmentally friendly product that is consistent with sustainable development principles.