Materials
Baltic Birch Plywood
Many Sprout products are made with Baltic Birch plywood.
Baltic Birch is a plywood product made of birch veneers sourced from the northeastern region of Europe around the Baltic Sea. A very strong and lightweight material, Birch plywood has been used for cabinets, skateboards, and even large aircraft (including the Spruce Goose). We use Baltic Birch because of its fantastic structural and aesthetic properties. These include:
- Durability & strength
- Light weight
- Crack & warp-resistance due to cross-banded plies
- Fewest voids of any plywood
- The same material all the way through, not using weaker or softer wood in the center
- A thick face veneer - same thickness as the center
- Appealingly light color
- Beautiful fine-grain, due to short growing season of its northern climate
- Attractive, satin-like sheen
- Highly decorative Ripple-figuring (occurs occasionally)
Solid Wood
Some of our products are now made completely from solid wood and many of them incorporate solid wood components. These components are either Maple, Birch, or Oak. Whenever possible, these woods are sourced from forests in the US and Canada.
TSCA Title VI compliant
We want our products to be as safe as possible for children. The Baltic Birch that we source is TSCA Title VI compliant. TSCA Title VI is from The Environmental Protection Agency (epa) and establishes formaldehyde emission standards, identical to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) which regulates the emissions of some chemicals in composite wood products such as Baltic Birch. Current regulations require emissions of formaldehyde in hardwood plywoods to be less than 0.05 parts per million (less than 0.000005%). All Baltic Birch used in Sprout products complies with or exceeds these standards.
FINISH
Our products come in a variety of finishes for resources that are durable and cohesive in your space.
Our finished Baltic birch is prepared in the Northwestern United States using state-of-the-art UV finish facilities and processes.
Clear or Natural finish is achieved with multiple coats of a non-VOC 100% Solids UV cured finish. The finish is a UV curable epoxy acrylate topcoat made for finishing plywood.
Our Painted finishes are achieved with layers of a water based paint and sealed with a non-VOC 100% solids UV cured finish.
The paint complies with all US regulations, and creates a clean, washable surface which, when taken care of, should last for many years.
Care Instructions
Clean painted faces using a mild cleaner. Spray cleaner on the painted surface and wipe off immediately. Remember - Sprout products are not intended for outdoor use. Avoid all contact with oil. If wet, wipe dry immediately. Unpainted faces can be wiped or sanded clean depending on the dirtying substance. Only sand the unpainted faces in line with the direction of the grain.
Eco Friendly
Sprout strives to be an environmentally responsible designer and manufacturer of modern furniture. We take our impact on the environment seriously and work to use smart design to provide a quality product with minimal impact.
Low Waste
Sprout modern furniture is designed to use resources as efficiently as possible. Early in the design process, yield is considered and products are designed to minimize scrap and waste. Parts are nested on CNC machines offering high yields.
Recyclable
Sprout innovative packaging is designed to use the material where it is needed for protection and minimize material where it isn't needed. Our packaging uses primarily cardboard with little or no foam and is almost all recyclable.
Reusable Furniture
A poorly designed product ends up having a greater impact on the environment because we have to buy more of it. Sprout products are meant to be well used. Because they are designed for easy assembly and disassembly, you don't need to buy a new bookcase every time you move. Sprout parts are interchangeable and replaceable. If you have a damaged part, there is no need to replace the entire unit. Send us a request here.
Efficient Shipping
Sprout was designed with e-commerce in mind. Our products are designed to ship as compactly as possible, reducing the energy and resources expended on transporting the product. This results in a more eco-friendly product and lower costs for you.
Low Emissions and Off-Gassing
We want our products to be as safe as possible for children. The Baltic Birch that we source is TSCA Title VI compliant. TSCA Title VI establishes formaldehyde emission standards identical to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) which regulates the emissions of some chemicals in composite wood products such as Baltic Birch. Current regulations require emissions of formaldehyde in hardwood plywoods to be less than 0.05 parts per million (less than 0.000005%). All Baltic Birch used in Sprout products complies with or exceeds these standards. All of our materials also comply with the Lacey Act and are sustainably sourced. We use a non-VOC finish and water-based paint. The seal that we put on is also non-VOC 100% Solids UV cured finish.
More Info
EPA Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products