Richlite at Greenbuild: Advancing Materials for the Built Environment
From October 20 to 23, the Richlite team headed to New York City’s Javits Center for Greenbuild 2026, as we talked with architects, designers, manufacturers, and sustainability leaders about what it takes to build more resilient, sustainable buildings and communities.
Richlite at the Mindful Materials Pavilion
With more than 80 years of manufacturing experience, Richlite showed its FSC-certified paper-composite surfaces in architecture, interiors, millwork, cladding, furniture, and more.
Richlite pairs design versatility with performance: moisture, stain, and heat resistance, plus flexible fabrication. With distinct collections made with 100% recycled paper content, Richlite offers designers and fabricators recycled-content options without compromising performance or aesthetics.
The conversations at Greenbuild reinforced the importance of understanding not only how a material performs, but also how it is sourced, manufactured, maintained, and kept in use over time.
How Richlite Approaches Sustainability
At Greenbuild 2026, conversations around responsible sourcing, embodied carbon, material transparency, and circularity highlighted the role of material selection in sustainable building.
Richlite addresses these priorities through several key practices:
- Responsible Material Sourcing: All Richlite collections use FSC-certified paper, supporting responsible forest management.
- Carbon & Climate Impact: Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) provide lifecycle information to help project teams evaluate environmental impacts and compare materials.
- Product Circularity & Durability: Durable, refinishable surfaces are designed for long service life.
- Human Health & Indoor Air Quality: Health Product Declarations (HPDs), Declare® Red List Approved status, and applicable UL GREENGUARD® certifications support material transparency and product evaluation.
- LEED® & Material Transparency: Richlite’s environmental documentation helps architects and designers assess material attributes against applicable LEED credit requirements.
These resources support informed material decisions as the building industry continues to prioritize sustainability and transparency.
Recognized for Responsible Sourcing: 2026 FSC Leadership Award
The week prior to Greenbuild, the Forest Stewardship Council named Richlite a 2026 FSC Leadership Award recipient. Of roughly 2,500 FSC certificate holders in the United States, only two organizations were recognized. We first received the award in 2019.
The recognition reflects how we source: every Richlite collection is made with FSC-certified paper, which supports responsible forest management and verified sourcing.
Richlite and Material Circularity: Giving Materials a Second Life
Sustainable materials also need a plan for what happens when a sheet doesn’t meet its original purpose. Richlite has partnered with Second Use, a South Tacoma reclaimed building materials company, to keep usable material in circulation.
Sheets with cosmetic imperfections or color variations that fall outside our aesthetic standards go to makers, homeowners, and businesses. These sheets get another, purposeful life, and the variations that kept them off the production line make each piece one of a kind.
As Second Use puts it, “We salvage materials and their stories, from the community, to the community.” It’s a practical step toward circularity: keeping usable material in circulation. Read the full story.
Building a Better Future, Together
Greenbuild underscored the role material manufacturers play in advancing a more sustainable built environment. Richlite remains committed to responsible sourcing, durable material design, and greater transparency, helping architects and designers make informed decisions that support long-term building performance.