Last year’s debut of the Design Portfolio, the result of an innovative partnership between Woodworking Network and the Composite Panel Association (CPA), was greeted with praise from a multitude of communities. The publication’s new design and branding, coupled with enhanced content, was appreciated by architects, designers, and fabricators of products made with composite panels, including furniture and cabinet makers throughout North America.

Along with the prominent placement of the Design Portfolio in a magazine with a large, diverse circulation, the gift kept giving all year long with the creative use of social media where the most important content was featured. This year’s edition will focus on the industry’s “Panels for the Planet” campaign that highlights the decorative, durable, versatile and renewable attributes of composite panels and decorative surfacing products. We are very pleased with the partnership progress to date and believe the best is yet to come!

CPA was busy in 2023 adding to the wealth of information showcasing the sustainability bona fides of composite panels and the products created with them. 

The composite panel industry’s sustainability story began more than 60 years ago when the industry used wood residuals from existing forest operations and transformed the once landfilled waste into beautiful and functional products that would last for decades. The data and tools to verify this legacy continues to grow by leaps and bounds. This year, we will publish updated Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that have been independently verified by ASTM for particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF) in North America. Today, these transparency tools are highly valued and indeed demanded by those who make materials choices. We will also continue our work this year on completing the environmental lifecycle of composite panels, focusing on the mill gate to the ultimate disposition of products containing panels.

The industry’s carbon story is worth repeating over and over again, as we continue to get the word out to the design community and those that specify building products. Composite panels are carbon storage devices. More than 11 million tons of CO²e (carbon dioxide equivalent) are stored in panels annually. These panels then make their way into the many products showcased in the Design Portfolio, including cabinets, furniture, countertops, mouldings, storage, and flooring, preventing this carbon from being released into the atmosphere. These products are truly “climate change mitigating champions”! 

MORE INFO   Design Portfolio Read the complete Design Portfolio: The definitive guide to sourcing decorative surfaces and composite panels.   Composite Panel Association  More information, plus industry news, testing & certification, policy and stewardship at the Composite Panel Association's website CompositePanel.org

Now a few words about the state of the composite panel industry. As predicted in this space last year, the composite panel and decorative surfaces boom of the pandemic cooled in 2023. Inflation and a much slower residential housing market coupled with challenging interest and associated mortgage rates, were largely the culprit. I am happy to report that these economic trends are not expected to continue. Indeed, inflation and mortgage rates have already receded. As noted last year, the U.S. population demographic profile, with more than 100 million millennials and Gen Z individuals in their prime home purchasing years, bodes well for a composite panel recovery, beginning late in 2024 and beyond. 

The composite panel and decorative surfacing industries look forward to a productive 2024. I encourage you to utilize the tools available to shine light on the functionality, beauty, and sustainability of products made with composite panels, including the Design Portfolio, the online Product Finder and CPA’s Instagram and LinkedIn social media posts. Additionally, CPA has developed many digital tools to illustrate the carbon storing properties of composite panels and their sustainability story. Visit CompositePanel.org to learn more.

Finally, please share your thoughts with me at [email protected].  
Andy O’Hare
President
Composite Panel Association
[email protected]