Revue Technique Luxembourgeoise

ARTICLES | REVUE TECHNIQUE LUXEMBOURGEOISE 3 | 2011 21
© Andres Lejona
bility, aesthetics, and green credentials and, like many other
modified wood products, can be used in a range of applications
– as explained above.
Sustainability is increasingly important to not only the building
and construction industry but also the general public.
Consumer attitudes have changed in recent years – it is no
longer deemed acceptable to use unsustainable and environmentally-damaging
products or processes: an attitude
which has ultimately had a positive impact on the industry
in general, as it looks to satisfy these demands.
Environmental stewardship is a hot topic, which lies at the
top of the political agenda on a global level. In July 2010,
the European Parliament voted to ban the import and sale
of illegal timber into the EU – a major legislative step.
Modified wood, and Kebony in particular, has been used by
a number of leading international architects, builders and
designers for some time. As such, others are increasingly
beginning to see the quality, durability and viability of the
product as word spreads and evidence grows for how well
Kebony and other modified wood products perform. Kebony,
in particular, increasingly experiences growing numbers
of enquiries on a day-to-day basis with new clients
and distributors announced on an international level (most
recently, Brooks Bros in the UK).
Kebony and sustainability – how contractors and architects
are using modified wood products to make a
play on their sustainability credentials
Kebony and other modified wood products replace the use
of endangered tropical timber and environmentally damaging
toxic-treated woods.
A global environmental awakening is one of the key drivers
for contractors and architects choosing modified wood, as
outlined above. In particular, by choosing Kebony, these firms
can demonstrate the following sustainability credentials:
_Kebony wood has a longer lifecycle than other wood,
acting like a carbon ‘sink’ by locking in CO2 a lot longer
than untreated wood.
_Kebony has received several awards in recognition of
its green approach – most recently named as one of the
world’s most promising clean technology companies in the
Global Cleantech 100. Kebony was also cited as one of the
top 50 companies that could change our world in 2010 and
one of the top 25 creative European Companies as well as
receiving the Nordic region’s eco-label, the Swan, the Glass
Bear for sustainable consumption and production and the
Norwegian Blue Ocean Award.
_Kebony is FSC-certified and is also embraced by leading
preservation organisations such as The Rain Forest Coalition
and the WWF.
_Kebony was asked to present at the highly-acclaimed CC8
Climate Conference and invited to display their innovative
product at the UN-Climate Conference in Copenhagen.
_Recent environmental studies also demonstrate that Kebony
maple has a substantially lower carbon footprint than
unsustainable Burmese teak.*
www.kebony.com
* A recent study by Norwegian environmental consulting firm Bergfald & Co
demonstrated Kebony maple to be a suitable substitute for unsustainable
Burmese teak in maritime and other applications, with a substantially lower
carbon footprint.