Green Page

Icons relating to environmental stewardship

We keep going greener!  

I was using 3/4 birch-clad MDF (medium density fibreboard) for the icons. I thought this was environmentally OK as MDF uses wood pulp that is potentially renewable, which could be acquired from sustainably farmed poplar. It is a product of Canada so it is fairly local (from a shipping point of view). There were no assurances that it was sustainably farmed. MDF contains glues that offgas loads of formaldehyde, along with other VOCs (volatile organic content), which make it toxic to work with and a source of indoor air pollution.

Once I learned of the formaldehyde issue, I switched to 3/4″ Lyptus Plywood. This is no-VOC plywood made from responsibly harvested hardwoods in South America. It is lighter than MDF, so shipping fuel use is reduced. It did not shape nicely, however and the edges needed painting. So I kept looking.

In an effort to become increasingly environmentally responsible, I switched to no-VOC 1/2″ Dakota Burl. It is a low-energy input board made from sunflower seed hulls in Minnesota. It is more expensive than the MDF or the Lyptus. Unfortunately, I found that in the process of shaping the edges, the laminated surface of the icons were being scratched and I was using significantly more sand paper and saw blades.  This created a good deal of waste.  

To correct that waste, I switched to no-VOC wheat strand board.  It comes from the same area in Minnesota.  It is not as handsome as the Dakota Burl, so I used an ultra-low-VOC bordeaux paint for the edges and a low-VOC varnish for the back.  Once dry, both of these offgas no VOCs.  With this change in product, I not only made an effort to become more environmentally responsible, but also more supportive of the domestic economy by becoming a net exporter.  

I ran into problems with timely delivery and some warping with the wheatboard. So I switched to a urea formaldehyde free particle board clad with heat fused melamine. This is stable, flat, smoother than the wheatboard, made in Maine and available locally. It is made from 100% recycled or recovered fiber. The back does not need varnish, so I use two coats of no-VOC paint on the edges.

I changed the way the icons are printed as well. They are now printed in waterproof ink on vinyl with paper transfer on top. This makes for more vivid color rendering and the transfer paper protects the icons from scratches during manufacture. This is also more efficient as the paper takes less time to remove than it takes to clean up stray paint.

I have become landfill net negative as I use scrap fabrics for wrapping, provided by Merrill Y. Landis http://www.merrilllandis.com/index.php. 

I think a holy icon should be a blessing in every way. As much as is possible, its physical form should not deplete natural resources or pollute.

Peace,
C. Joseph Coulter
Owner, "Come and See" Icons, Books & Art

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