Waferboard furniture?

[Cooler]

In this video (starting at about 1:00 and running for about 45 seconds) they show what is apparently a hotel room.  The headboard, armoire and the side table are all made from waferboard. 

They seem to justify this by saying it is "recycled". 

Interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iBd1KllagQ

[stav]

Is it recycled?  I thought it was just chips from making other wood.

[Cabinet Monkey]

They seem to justify this by saying it is "recycled".

Between the lines , you seem to convey the attitude that only solid wood is worthy of furniture.

And it is for many things. But it’s not the be , all end all ; nor is I appropriate for for all projects. It’s horrible for interiors on private planes for instance.

[Phil Thien]

The siding on the addition to the house around the corner is made of prefinished waterboard. The finish does look nice and thick, I wonder now it will hold up.

[handi]

Waferboard is reclaimed material if not recycled. It is largely made from sawmill scraps. 
MDF is actually ground up board, pallets and such. 

You can make cabinets and headboards out of either as you can see, but it is unlikely to last. Just like chipboard RTA furniture, you can assemble it, put it in place and it will function for a time. But it will NOT survive more than a couple of moves, and certainly will not get passed down or re-sold. And having been deeply involved in several hotel room builds, I can tell you, hotel furniture takes a beating like you cannot believe.

So which is ACTUALLY better for the environment? Making furniture from actual sustainably forested wood that will last for generations, or flake board that will need to be replaced every few years or sooner?

[EightFingers]

Can you make new osb from old osb?

[John Mihich]

Waferboard is reclaimed material if not recycled. It is largely made from sawmill scraps. 
MDF is actually ground up board, pallets and such. 

You can make cabinets and headboards out of either as you can see, but it is unlikely to last. Just like chipboard RTA furniture, you can assemble it, put it in place and it will function for a time. But it will NOT survive more than a couple of moves, and certainly will not get passed down or re-sold. And having been deeply involved in several hotel room builds, I can tell you, hotel furniture takes a beating like you cannot believe.

So which is ACTUALLY better for the environment? Making furniture from actual sustainably forested wood that will last for generations, or flake board that will need to be replaced every few years or sooner?

Most homeowners that buy the Ikea type stuff when it goes bad throws it out - no recycling there.  I have refinished all sorts of furniture over the years that have lasted decades.  All my kids (3) have dressers that I refinished - all 100 years old or older.  Our dinning room table 100 yo, kitchen table 100 yo. 

So - at least in my house - real wood furniture is the way I recycle or reuse.  Of course all furniture I build I try to make it 100% wood; there is some plywood but never chip board.  I rarely use MDF. 

I think if a person likes to change decor every few years it makes sense to go cheap.

[Jone1962]

Waferboard is reclaimed material if not recycled. It is largely made from sawmill scraps. 
MDF is actually ground up board, pallets and such. 

You can make cabinets and headboards out of either as you can see, but it is unlikely to last. Just like chipboard, from this site [/url][url=https://sheetmaterialswholesale.co.uk/sheet-materials/chipboard/]https://sheetmaterialswholesale.co.uk/sheet-materials/chipboard/ RTA furniture, you can assemble it, put it in place and it will function for a time. But it will NOT survive more than a couple of moves, and certainly will not get passed down or re-sold. And having been deeply involved in several hotel room builds, I can tell you, hotel furniture takes a beating like you cannot believe.

So which is ACTUALLY better for the environment? Making furniture from actual sustainably forested wood that will last for generations, or flake board that will need to be replaced every few years or sooner?

If you don’t want to support illegal logging or encourage deforestation, you need to be aware of how to buy sustainable wood. We thought it’d be useful to take a look at the subject to help you avoid buying the ‘wrong’ stuff.

[jteneyck]

Chain hotels get rehabbed every few years regardless of what furniture is used.  Kitchens get replaced every 20 - 30 years.  Styles change.  Neither are heirloom applications and it makes sense to me anyway to make use of recycled and/or waste products for the sheet goods used in them.  Why waste quality solid wood for applications with a limited lifespan?  

John

[Admiral]

If you don’t want to support illegal logging or encourage deforestation, you need to be aware of how to buy sustainable wood. We thought it’d be useful to take a look at the subject to help you avoid buying the ‘wrong’ stuff.

Ok, but who is "we"??