Plywood is a manufactured wood made from thin sheets of wood veneer, which are glued together, with adjacent plies having their wood grain rotated relative to adjacent layers up to 90 degrees. This alternation of the grain has several important benefits: it reduces the tendency of wood to split when nailed at the edges; it reduces expansion and shrinkage, providing improved dimensional stability; and it makes the strength of the panel consistent across all directions.

With the efforts of government around the world to minimise deforestation, plywood has been providing a viable alternative to the construction Industry.When the industry is operated under strict environmental standards, the ply wood industry can be an socially benficial. However, in most countries, ply wood manufacturing is done at small to medium scale where environmental controls are least. The fact that much of the manufacturing happens in developing countries where due to lack of regulation, lack of enforcement and outright corruption of the regulators, plywood industries have locally proven to be environmentally destructive.

This website is created with a view to assist all stakeholders who are interested in environmentally sustainable management of plywood industry. It provides compilation of scientifically relevant facts on the ply wood industry and its environmental impacts.