Eco-friendly

The Best Loudspeakers Are Now The Greenest!

 

 

BREATHE EASY WITH OUR FORMALDEHYDE-FREE LOUDSPEAKERS

 

Conventional loudspeakers may cause cancer. 
A US Government report delayed for years because of fierce lobbying by manufacturers, strengthened the warning that formaldehyde, found in plywood and pressboard that are used to make loudspeakers is a human carcinogen. (NY Times, June 10, 2011.) 

 

With the increasing use of loudspeakers in near-field situations such as desk tops and other intimate settings, and the broader problem of global environmental pollution, toxic off-gassing in general and formaldehyde off-gassing in particular have become very important health and environmental issues. It is these issues that we seek to address by introducing non-toxic, formaldehyde free "green" loudspeakers."
 

For us a "green" loudspeaker is one that is produced with the least amount of non-toxic lumber that is made from recycled materials or lumber harvested from sustainable forests, glued with non-toxic glues, painted with certified "green" water based paints, loaded with the most efficient set of components, packaged in packaging made from recycled and non-toxic materials, and requires the least amount of non-renewable energy to ship. Our "green" loudspeakers offer the best performance and have less than half of the environmental impact of conventional loudspeakers.

 

A Holistic View of Green
 

What is a "green" or "Eco-friendly" or "environmentally friendly" loudspeaker? These terms are used interchangeably to refer to (1) loudspeakers made in energy efficient or renewable energy facilities, or to (2) loudspeakers with cabinets made from recycled materials, or to (3) loudspeakers that consume lower energy, and so on. The concern has been focused primarily on the impact of loudspeaker manufacturing on resource depletion. We take a more holistic approach that protects both people's health and the environment. Ultimately all our concerns about the global environment are rooted in the sustainability of life on the planet and the impact of environmental degradation on human life itself. To focus on the global environment from only a depletion of resources point of view can lead to disastrous results as the use of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), the primary material used to make loudspeakers, shows.

 

Eco-friendly is not necessarily Health-friendly

 

Ironically, when MDF became the most commonly used material to make loudspeakers in the 1970s, it was touted as good for the environment because it was made from recycled materials, including lumber byproducts and excess and waste materials from lumber mills. The use of MDF addressed the problem of resource depletion, but because there was less focus on the toxicity inherent in the process by which MDF was made, the impact of formaldehyde (a key component of MDF) on human health and the environment was mainly overlooked. 

 

Formaldehyde, which is used to manufacture most plywoods and MDFs, is an allergen and a carcinogen. It is a volatile organic compound (VOC) which vaporizes under normal conditions into the environment. It poses a severe risk to people with with pulmonary problems. Moreover, formaldehyde residues are major components of smog and thus have a broad impact on health and the environment. In finished lumber products, such as furniture and loudspeakers, formaldehyde, paints, and glues which are VOCs can release vapors (off-gas) into indoor air. This is a significant and growing concern for consumers who want healthy products in their homes and in their working and leisure environments and who also want to protect the global environment.

Here at NSMT, we have a holistic idea of what constitutes a "green" loudspeaker. It takes into account not only the amount of materials and other resources used to manufacture a loudspeaker, and hence the impact of the process on the depletion of scarce resources, but we are also concerned about the toxicity of those materials and their immediate impact on the health of our customers, our workers, and on the global environment. Our holistic approach takes into account the entire process or loudspeaker manufacturing -- from design and manufacturing to shipping and transportation, to the impact on the consumer and the environment in which the consumer will use our products.

NSMT's Green Loudspeakers

 

For us a "green" loudspeaker is one that is produced with the least amount of non-toxic lumber made from recycled materials or harvested from sustainable forests, glued with non-toxic glues, painted with certified "green" water based paints, loaded with the most efficient set of components, and packaged in packaging made from recycled and non-toxic materials.

 

Although formaldehyde-free boards and paints are becoming more available, they are very expensive, more difficult to work with, and the variety is quite limited. There are no absolute solutions. Even certified green paints and lumber may contain minute quantities of formaldehyde. Indeed, minute quantities of formaldehyde can naturally occur in wood..

We are manufacturing the "greenest" and most environmentally- and health friendly, formaldehyde free non-toxic loudspeakers, as options for our full line of critically acclaimed small loudspeakers, which are already substantially "green".

Our “greenest” loudspeakers are manufactured from formaldehyde free plywoods that are made with PureBond® formaldehyde-free technology, and from MDFs that use no urea or formaldehyde in the manufacturing process. We assemble them with non toxic glues, and paint them with water based paints that are certified by the Greenguard Environmental institute. We manufacture our grills from formaldehyde free MDF, non-toxic glues, and nylon fabrics.

We currently offer health friendly and Eco-friendly loudspeakers in the following categories:

ECO-FRIENDLY LOUDSPEAKERS

Sealed and painted with certified "green" water based paints to prevent toxic formaldehyde vapors that may be present in manufactured lumber and can harm your health from escaping into indoor air and the environment.

Assembled with non-toxic glues and lead-free solder.

Small size produces big sound but uses less natural resources and has a smaller carbon foot print than larger loudspeakers.

Packaged with biodegradable honeycomb paper product and/or foam that does not cause ozone depletion.

Shipped in cartons made from recycled and/or non-toxic materials.

 

FORMALDEHYDE-FREE LOUDSPEAKERS

Manufactured from formaldehyde free plywoods that are made with PureBond® formaldehyde-free technology.

Manufactured from Medium Density Fiberboard that use no urea or formaldehyde in the manufacturing process.

Sealed and painted with certified "green" water based paints to prevent even minute toxic vapors that may be present in manufactured lumber from escaping into indoor air and the environment.

Assembled with non-toxic glues and lead-free solder.

Small size produces big sound but uses less natural resources and has smaller carbon foot print than larger loudspeakers.

Packaged with biodegradable honeycomb paper product and/or foam that does not cause ozone depletion.

Shipped in cartons made from recycled and/or non-toxic materials.

 

Kindly let us know if you have any questions.