Content area
Full text
When Oregon State University researcher Dr. Kaichang Li pitched an environmentally friendly adhesive at a wood products industry conference in 2002, most people in the audience had no interest. Advances in green chemistry, the science of removing hazardous chemicals from materials, didn't appeal to attendees, who were satisfied with the way they had manufactured wood for decades.
But a representative of Columbia Forest Products caught Li after his presentation to find out more about his soy-based adhesive, according to Elizabeth Whalen, the company's former director of sustainability. The switch from a urea-formaldehyde adhesive to Li's adhesive didn't increase the cost of the company's plywood, but the switch did increase its competitiveness in the market.
Columbia Forest Products learned that green chemistry could provide a road to more sustainable living, as well as better business. It's a lesson that Colin...