GREEN FLOORING CLOSING THE LOOP
Ramon Arratia, Sustainability Director at Interface, discusses how flooring manufacturers need to utilise data collection and product transparency so that contractors and specifiers select the right products for each job.
As the flooring industry becomes more heavily regulated by environmental legislation, there is particular pressure on contractors to produce an inclusive sustainable offering through the design and construction of a flooring project as standard. Sustainability targets, such as those defined by BRE (Building Research Establishment), are also pushing industry standards to ensure more sustainable buildings are delivered as efficiently as possible.
Over the years, the specification of flooring materials has evolved into an intricate balance of style, performance and sustainability in equal measure. With so many factors to consider when specifying a flooring product; contractors often do not have the time to invest in research into the lifecycle of a product to assess its sustainability. This means they require simple, easy- to-access information about a product’s environmental credentials in order to make a quick, well-informed decision to meet the requirements of the customer.
The best way possible for flooring manufacturers to support specifiers and contractors in delivering low-carbon flooring solutions to their customers is by ensuring that the key facts about a product’s lifecycle and its true environmental impact is as transparent as possible. Contractors can then easily compare products to specify the right flooring solution for the job.
It is important that manufacturers look at sustainability from the perspective of the contractor. For example, as an everyday consumer, it is easy to choose a car, as the information we need to make the decision is clearly defined, which makes it easy for purchasers to compare. This level of transparency is needed in the flooring industry, but some companies are still vague about their environmental credentials, which
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can make it difficult for contractors to identify genuinely sustainable products.
DECLARATION OF SUSTAINABILITY The best way to identify low carbon products is to look at the entire supply chain, but it is the manufacturers responsibility to be transparent in the processes and materials they use, to support specifiers and flooring contractors in choosing the most responsibly sourced products for their customers.
Contractors can access all the information they require through independent data gained from full life-cycle assessments (LCA). When it comes to carpet tiles, this includes aspects such as the raw materials used, the manufacturing process, and transport of the products. Contractors can request an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) that includes an LCA
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