Bamboo

Bamboo flooring is made from a fast-growing grass that regenerates without seeding. Bamboo reaches full maturity in 3 - 6 years, which makes it renewable and sustainable. Bamboo floors are as durable as Oak or Maple hardwood and come in a wide selection of colors and styles. Quality bamboo makes a beautiful, warm, environmentally friendly floor that can be enjoyed for many years. So when thinking about a new floor give bamboo flooring consideration.

Cork

From harvest to production to installation, cork flooring is an environmentally sustainable, and non-toxic alternative to traditional flooring materials. Cork is one of the few truly sustainable materials perfectly suited for eco-friendly flooring. Trees are grown and the bark is harvested without harming either the trees or their habitat. Bark is initially sent to a factory to create stoppers for wine bottles. Cork flooring is then created from post-industrial by-product of the bottle-stopper industry. This 'waste' material is ground up and then formed into sheets using minimal amounts of adhesive to bind the particles together under high pressure. There is almost zero waste from the production of cork flooring.

Carpet

Many carpet manufactures are making huge efforts to use renewable and/or recycled materials in their products. The carpet and rug industry uses a labeling system to identify materials with fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the carpet fiber or in the adhesives used in installation. Such carpeting improves indoor air quality, a major consideration of green building. Shaw's Anso Nylon contains 25% post-consumer content and is cradle to cradle certified. Mohawks Smart Strand is renewable-sourced polymer made partially from corn sugar and requires less energy to make. PET polyester fibers are made from recycled plastic bottles, containing 100% post-consumer content.

Hardwood

Sustainable flooring companies are practicing sustainable harvesting methods that don't permanently damage the ecosystem. Some companies are also using reclaimed lumber form demolitions and wood salvaged from forest fires and land clearing.

Linoleum

An old-fashioned product with a new use, and we do mean Linoleum, not vinyl flooring. Linoleum is made up of organic material and is biodegradable in landfills. Primarily composed of tree sap, cork, and linseed oil, linoleum flooring is as green as it gets. Brands such as Marmoleum have solutions for virtually any type of application with over 300 colors and 9 different structures to choose from.