Formaldehyde from composite wood products (ICS: 03.120.2; 79.060; 91.040; 91.060)

Proposed Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulations (44 pages, available in English and French).

The Regulations would place limits on formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products sold in, offered for sale in and imported into Canada, with a limited number of exemptions.

The proposed Regulations would not apply to many construction materials including structural plywood, oriented strand board, structural panels, structural composite lumber, structural glued-laminated timber, wood I-joists, and cross-laminated timber.

The proposed Regulations would also include the following exemptions:

·         curved plywood

·         finger-jointed lumber

·         hardboard

·         wood packaging, including pallets, crates, spools and dunnage

·         composite wood products used in: a vehicle, other than a mobile home, motor home or recreational trailer; any car or railway equipment that is designed for movement on its wheels on the rails of a railway; a vessel; or, an aircraft.

·         windows that contain a composite wood product that represents less than 5% of the total volume of the window, including the glass

·         exterior or garage doors that contain a composite wood product that either represents less than 3% of the total volume of the exterior or garage door or that contain a composite wood product made only with a no-added formaldehyde resin or an ultra-low emitting formaldehyde resin

·         composite wood products that are to be used for research and development activities

·         composite wood products that are to be used in a laboratory for analysis, in scientific research or as a laboratory analytical standard; and

·         composite wood products that are manufactured or imported for export only.

Testing requirements on manufacturers of composite wood products are set out in the Regulations as well as within an incorporated by reference directive. Certain testing requirements must be respected using an accredited laboratory. After the coming into force of the final regulations, composite wood products must be labelled at the time of sale in Canada. There are also recordkeeping and reporting requirements set out in the Regulations.

Certain laminated products are subject to transitional provision. In addition, composite wood products located in Canada prior to the coming into force of the final regulations, may be used in their manufacturing, offered for sale and sold without meeting the requirements set out in the Regulations for three years after their coming into force. The Proposed Regulations align, where possible, with similar requirements in the United States.