We at deciBel Designs have chosen Columbia Forest Products Purebond 3/4 inch thick plywood to build our cabinets out of because it is absolutely hands down the very best way to fabricate casework.
Columbia makes a panel that is stable and contains no urea formaldehyde glue. Formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen that will out gas in your home for years once it's brought inside. Our plywood is bonded with soybean glue, heat and pressure, resulting in a superior panel that is actually more moisture resistant and stable. Columbia produces these panels in state of the art mills in the United States and Canada. Quality control such as veneer selection and layup, even moisture content throughout the panel, and the excellent soybean glue result in plywood that is dimensionally stable and will not cup or warp. Voids in these high quality panels are kept to an absolute minimum. They are a real joy to work with.
Our Columbia panels are FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council) meaning chain of custody is documented from forest floor to us guaranteeing they are harvested from forests that are responsibly managed and audited. Forest husbandry. We've found this FSC designation gives us further assurance of honestly graded plywood.
In 2007 the people originating the soybean glue process were chosen for the Presidential Green Chemistry Challange Winner. The chemistry behind the soybean glue was inspired by the protein glue mussels use to bond themselves to their rock. Amino acids in soybeans were modified to mimic the adhesive mussel protein. The changeover from urea formaldehyde to soybean glue reduced emissions in some of their mills by 90 percent!
Here's a great page with photos and video about Columbia plywood panel production.
So on our end we are working with pure lumber and producing simple sawdust, giving us a safe and enjoyable working environment. While at your end you receive a beautiful, stable furniture grade cabinet that will give you decades of enjoyment and will not impact the air in your home. It's a real win win!