In April, 2008, Smith & Fong announced it had secured certification according to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) enabling the company to produce the world’s first range of FSC-certified bamboo plywood and flooring.

Since 1989, Smith & Fong Company has been an innovator and leader in the development of bamboo as an alternative building resource. PLYBOO® bamboo products—flooring, plywood, veneers and paneling—are 100% bamboo with no fillers. All are made from the Moso species of bamboo, which grows to maturity in five to six years with a height of over 40 feet and a diameter of more than six inches.

Unlike many bamboo- manufacturers in the marketplace, Smith & Fong has a direct relationship with its farmers, who insist on harvesting the culm only after it has reached maturity. The company uses low- or no-VOC adhesives in its manufacturing processes, and currently all Plyboo flooring lines are urea formaldehyde-free. Plyboo’s bamboo plywood line is currently available as Plyboo Pure urea-formaldehyde free or in its original form.

Given that so much of today’s bamboo is bought in China on the open market, it is very important to know how raw materials are harvested and products are manufactured. The quality of bamboo can be attributed to different factors. For instance, a lot of inexpensive bamboo found in today’s marketplace has been harvested too early, resulting in a soft end product.

All Plyboo products are tested for emissions by an independent, third party lab located in the United States. In late 2007 the company began converting its plants to urea formaldehyde (UF)-free manufacturing processes, and UF-free PlybooPure flooring is now available throughout the North American market and is the heart of the Plyboo product line.