FEATURE FLOORING IT


Rohit Sharma, Resilient Sales Manager at Bona, talks to Tomorrow’s FM about the company’s responsibility to the environment, how sustainability is embodied in everything it does, and why it’s been that way since 1919.


Making more sustainable decisions and taking responsibility for our climate footprint has never been more important; we all need to be conscious of our impact on the planet.


When making choices on flooring, ever greater attention is being paid to environmental protection across the entire supply chain, with manufacturers, suppliers and customers pledging their commitment to reducing their environmental footprint today and in the future.


As an environmentally-conscious, global innovator of sustainable practices, Bona, is well-placed to provide insight into this area, and has pioneered some of the most important innovations in the flooring industry. In fact, in the early 1970s, Bona was among the first to remove toxic and hazardous chemicals from hardwood floor finish and proved water-based finish as a reliable and durable alternative. Furthermore, Bona was one of the first companies to insist on dust containment systems that remove carcinogenic wood dust from the air and environment during the hardwood floor sanding process. It was also the first company to offer a full system of waterborne hardwood flooring finishing and floor care products certified for indoor air quality.


The list of sustainable, environmental achievements and accolades goes on, it is a very impressive read, and it is these strong environmental credentials that drive an ongoing curiosity for pioneering the next innovation for floors for a more sustainable future.


The overall trend for more environmentally friendly flooring has seen the emergence of less harmful, less toxic materials, and an increase in the use of recycled materials. Customers want flooring to be made of non-toxic materials that do not comprise of hazardous substances, and today flooring is viewed as having a longer service-life - one that doesn’t need to be replaced frequently, and instead is sustainable.


Many manufacturers have environmental standards and pledges for new products which respond to the elements above, with some even meeting the strictest standards of health, sustainability and performance in the marketplace.


Renovating resilient floors Resilient floor surfaces are used extensively throughout the industry, and typically when the end of the product life-cycle is reached, it is promptly replaced with a brand- new surface.


However, as innovative, new developments continue to emerge, there has been a key turning point, an


62 | TOMORROW’S FM


industry-first; a floor renovation system that enables the transformation of old, worn resilient floors without having to endure the high cost of replacement. This has created an invaluable opportunity for transition from old, outdated processes to modern, innovative eco-friendly approaches.


Rather than tearing out existing flooring, which is expensive and environmentally harsh, this innovation enables surfaces to be revitalised in less time than it would take to install a new floor. It also sidesteps the need to ever strip the surface again; effectively extending the material lifespan of a floor.


“The overall trend for more environmentally friendly flooring has seen the emergence of less harmful, less toxic materials.”


An innovation of this type is a sustainable option as renovating rather than replacing the floor, vastly reduces the environmental impact. With hundreds of millions of square meters covered with resilient surfaces, a development of this nature, prevents significant volumes of unwanted products being disposed in landfill sites.


An industry-first Of course, an important consideration here is changing existing processes; for years the typical approach was always to strip and polish a worn floor multiple times until damage, tears, or dirt prevented it from maintaining the right look or performance. The floor was then torn up, typically thrown in landfill, and replaced with new material.


It was common to assume that if a floor looked seriously damaged and beyond repair, the next obligatory step was a brand-new installation. What’s important to highlight here is that even in instances when a floor is in bad condition with extreme signs of wear and tear, it is highly likely that it can still be renovated to a high standard – to an ‘as new’ condition at a fraction of the price of new – up to 50% less in most cases.


Furthermore, a renovated floor is expected to last equally as long as a new floor before it is worn and in need of maintenance, and it has the added bonus that the entire process can be undertaken between two and four times before it must be replaced with new.


Clear on carbon A report by the Swedish Environmental Institute in 2020, released results of a life cycle analysis, comparing the


twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84