FSC® Certified Paper

Is it really paper?

Yes it is. It starts out as pulp, is turned into paper and is transformed into a dense, durable, attractive material that can be tooled like wood and used for literally any commercial or residential surface or design accents from sink basins to exterior wall cladding. Richlite uses a highly specialized paper in its manufacturing process in order to achieve a level of density and durability that no one has been able to replicate.

Richlite uses a rather thin paper – approximately 55 lb. paper – due to its positive    effect on the overall quality and density of  its product. The thinner the paper, the more evenly the resin can flow between and through the sheets, allowing for more fibrous cross-linking to occur. The only advantage to using a thicker paper is you can gain more throughput and lower your cost, however, we have found this to be deterimental to product performance. By specifying a precise thickness and quality of paper, Richlite has achieved a level of density, flatness and reliability that is unequalled in the paper-composite surface market.

Richlite paper is colored during the paper making process which makes the color consistent throughout the manufacturing process. The other option is to color the paper while you are saturating the paper, however, that leads to inconsistent color and can cause performance issues with the resin. Papers are made either with 50% recycled cardboard or FSC certified materials composed of paper derived by sources certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is a third party global regulating body with stringent standards for responsibly managing and harvesting forests. The FSC-certified paper Richlite currently sources uses pulp from managed forests in Brazil and Sweden. The pulp is derived from rapidly renewable Eucalyptus trees that can be re-harvested every three to seven years.