As consumers, we all have the power to change the way in which we influence the use of energy and natural resources, both in this country and abroad.
We make these choices every day, whether it is in the clothes we buy, the food we eat, or the materials we use to build and furnish our homes. The Internet and Federal Express can bring the world to your door; in fact it can bring the very door to your home. A mouse click in Des Moines can cause a mahogany tree in Indonesia to fall. And multiplied by millions of such actions, energy and natural resources and local economies are altered in distant places.
We believe that consumers need more information about the choices they make. There are alternatives to business as usual, whether it is in the food we eat, the clothes we buy, or the materials we use to build and furnish our homes. There are alternatives that lessen the burden we place on our energy resources and the natural world, both here and abroad.
These choices don’t mean sacrificing comfort or luxury; they don’t necessarily mean entailing greater expense. They just mean there are more choices than you many realize; in fact there are probably a lot more choices than you realize.
Bamboo
Bamboo is actually a rapidly growing grass, which is harvested and then treated and manufactured into planks. Historically there have been quality issues with many of the low priced imports, as well as contamination from high levels of formaldehyde. Bamboo products from Teragren and Trillium do not suffer from either of these quality or contamination issues.
Carpet
Synthetic and wool carpet manufacturing entail considerable inputs of non-renewable resources. The carpet industry has made significant strides in reducing the energy and water used in manufacturing carpet. It is also using biobased materials for backing systems as well as the feedstock for yarn manufacture. In addition, recycled plastic bottles are a significant input into the manufacture of polyester carpet.
However, the major barrier to “closing the loop” in the cradle to grave carpet lifecycle, is still the absence of a well-organized national recycling program. Although some carpet is collected and recycled into new carpet, most still ends in landfills.
Cork
Cork flooring offers the end-user an aesthetically pleasing, quiet and comfortable walking surface. The cork used in flooring is largely derived from the waste product from the manufacture of corks for wine bottles. It originally comes from the bark of long-lived oak trees, and is thus renewable. Cork flooring has one of the lowest carbon footprints of all flooring types.
Hardwoods
We feature hardwoods sourced from American and Canadian manufacturers known to harvest from sustainably managed forests. We no longer sell hardwood from tropical forests; we oppose the destruction and disruption of these ecosystems.
Marmoleum
Marmoleum or “linoleum,” is a wonderful choice for resilient flooring. It has the following benefits:
- breathtaking palette of colors
- USDA Certified 100% biobased
- naturally anti-static and antimicrobial
- occupancy-ready installation
- lowest cost of ownership of resilient flooring
- exceptional performance and durability
- renewable, allowing 30-year system service life
Additional Information
The flooring industry has made enormous strides in the last ten years in achieving sustainability goals both in the production process as well as flooring products themselves. There are constant improvements in adhesives and other materials used in the manufacture and installation of flooring to reduce the amounts of potentially harmful chemicals.
Please contact us if you have specific questions concerning environmental/indoor air quality or other “green” aspects of flooring or need information about LEED certification.
