Green Flooring Explained

Did you know that Northern Colorado Carpets recycles 100% of their unused or torn-out flooring pads?

At Northern Colorado Carpets, we are proud to supply our clients with a variety of flooring options, which includes several eco-friendly or green flooring options for the conscious consumers who are committed to making a positive impact on the world around them. In today’s post, we will highlight some of our suppliers who use recycled materials to make their products and take measurable efforts in the fight against climate change.

In general, there are many approaches that one can take to going-green, or improving your sustainability. Some flooring providers choose to make green flooring either by using recycled materials in their flooring, or by using sustainably sourced materials that are highly regenerative, or require very few resources to be produced.

Green Flooring – Carpets with Recycled Materials

Many of our suppliers and partners made intentional efforts to offer a variety of green flooring options, but one that remains exceptionally noteworthy is Mohawk Flooring’s Everstrand Carpet Line. The Everstrand line of carpeting is made of up to 100% recycled content- specifically single-use plastic bottles. Mohawk has developed and patented a process that removes over 6 billion plastic bottles from the ocean and water ways and uses it to create carpet that is stronger, and more damage resistant than previous carpets. Mohawk also has a nation-wide recycling program for used carpet, to help keep carpets out of landfills!

Another one of our partners, Shaw Floors, has a green carpet series titled “Clear Touch,” which is also primarily made of recycled materials. Shaw Floors also participates in several voluntary green flooring certification programs that assess for material re-use, the use of renewable energy, responsible water use, air quality, and chemical emissions.

Green Flooring Partners for Wood Floors

It is often wrongfully assumed that wood flooring is bad for the environment- after all, trees are cut down to make wood floors, but that oversimplifies an issue that is rather complex. Many companies, such as our partner Mullican Flooring, take effective commitments to sustainability. Mullican produced a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which commits them to environmentally friendly forestry practices in the Appalachian forests where most of the supply grows. In other words, their timber harvests are done in a way the is certifiably good for the social, ecologic, and economic well-being of forest, workers, communities, indigenous peoples’ land rights. Mullican Flooring also worked to create the Responsible Procurement Program, which ensures that hardwood growth exceeds hardwood harvesting – or more specifically – 2.45 trees are growing for every tree that dies and/or is harvested.

Many of our hardwood suppliers offer options of natural hardwood, and engineered hardwood (also known as engineered wood). Natural hardwood is simple planks of wood laid into the floor, whereas engineered hardwood is a plank of hardwood that applied over plie wood – which can be made of recycled wood pieces and can be recycled again. Because of the recycled material aspect, many consumers consider engineered wood to be more eco-friendly than traditional, or natural wood planks.

Green Flooring Luxury Vinyl Tiles

Some consumers believe that vinyl cannot be eco-friendly because it is made of PVC, which is a plastic that is not biodegradable, but that once again oversimplifies a complex issue. For some of our partners, such as Tarkett, the above assumptions ignore the fact that they use recycled materials to create their LVT, and that much of their byproducts go onto be recycled in turn. Tarkett also voluntarily participates in certifications that assess and approve the healthful impact of their materials, the recyclability of their products, the use of renewable energy, water stewardship, and social fairness.

Green flooring is a complex discussion that requires a communal effort from the manufacturers of our floors. We understand that this post only touches on the issue, and doesn’t fully explain the certifications and partnerships that help make green flooring happen, such as LEED rating system. However, it is simply more than we have time for in a blog post!

At Northern Colorado Carpets, we are proud to partner with suppliers who make an intentional effort to produce green flooring and service those who care about the environment in the greater Fort Collins area. Whenever you’re ready to consider green flooring, give us a call!