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If you find that the laminate boards are chipping as you cut, you can try flipping the board upside down and cutting the backside first. You can also make a small cut to the top of the board before flipping it and cutting it from the backside. If these strategies do not work, you can place painter’s tape along the edge of the cut to prevent chipping. It is also possible that the saw blade is dull and needs to be replaced.

Not usually. Laminates are made from plastic materials, traditionally melamine, so they don’t offer any eco-friendly or green benefits. Melamine itself is infamous for its toxic composition and outgassing over time, so if you’re looking for a green counter option, it’s best to avoid laminates. Additionally, laminates aren’t candidates for recycling during disposal.

The exception to this rule are certain kinds of laminates with core materials made from recycled pulp and chaff, but these aren’t always available as countertops and still typically use at least some plastic.

Formica® is actually the brand name of the laminate countertops that they produce. As such, there is no difference between Formica® versus laminate other than laminate is the generic name for layers of paper topped with an image layer that have been compressed under high pressure to form a solid, easy-to-maintain countertop. Other companies that produce laminate countertops include WilsonArt® and Arborite®, among others.

Baking soda can damage some countertops, but it makes an excellent mild abrasive for removing stains on other countertops. For example, never use baking soda on quartz or glass countertops, but you can use it on laminate and tile. Stay away from using it on quartz because it can scratch and damage the counter, and glass is prone to scratches. Since baking soda is a mild abrasive, you can only use it on certain surfaces.