ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
Improve the world, start with the floor
Sustainability is no longer just for a select number of projects. The industry as a whole needs to make better, more environmentally conscious choices to help reduce the impact of our buildings. Here, Sharron Kapellar, National Framework Manager at Forbo Flooring Systems, explains why and how its Marmoleum range can provide a sustainable, healthy and hygienic solution for healthcare environments.
With recent news that the UK government has set new National Health Service (NHS England) targets to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, decarbonisation of the healthcare sector will need to intensify over the coming years. As the biggest employer in the country, the NHS currently accounts for 4% of the UK’s carbon footprint. And with an intermediate target to reduce emissions by 80% between 2028 and 2032, it is vital that NHS organisations take considerate steps to ensure operations are as energy-efficient and as sustainable as possible. A key part of this is reducing the environmental impact and carbon footprint of buildings, both during construction and throughout their lifecycle. Manufacturers are therefore continuing to look for new ways to be more sustainable and provide options for specifiers and designers to make responsible choices. From how they are made to how they perform, healthcare specifiers must carefully examine the sustainability of building and interior products and select the options with the lowest possible impact on the environment.
Follow the CO2 neutral path
A fundamental part of this is moving products, processes and ultimately buildings, towards carbon neutrality through the use of natural renewable materials and energy. Whereas carbon neutral was once perceived as the ultimate goal to aspire to, it is becoming increasingly clear that carbon neutral will instead become the standard of the future. CO2
is emitted at each stage of a product’s life cycle: from raw material extraction and manufacturing to transport, usage, cleaning and end-of-life disposal. Each stage in the process should be optimised for carbon footprint limitation. As part of its Live Forward campaign, Forbo Flooring Systems is underlining its commitment to sustainability and minimising the environmental impact
of its products and processes wherever possible.
The path to a real carbon neutral building is made from natural raw materials, not plastic. Forbo’s own brand of linoleum, Marmoleum, is one of the most sustainable floor coverings on the market. Made from 97% natural raw materials, including flax, jute and linseed oil, which are grown and harvested annually, as well as wood flour and pine rosin that are sourced from sustainably managed forestry plantations. In fact, 62% of the natural ingredients are renewable, of which 29% are rapidly renewable, meaning they will grow back within one year. Marmoleum also boasts 43% reused and recycled content to reduce the demand for virgin raw materials.
Marmoleum has been on a sustainability path for over 150 years. Since it was first developed there has been one constant - change. The path is not a straightforward one and whilst Forbo acknowledges the considerable achievements, the weighted average of its Marmoleum product range is CO2
neutral (cradle to gate) - without offsetting, it accepts the new challenges that the next 150 years will bring, with increased energy and resolve.
Making CO2
-conscious choices
How do you make sustainable choices when it comes to deciding on a floor covering? What basis is there for responsible and informed decision-making? Independent, third-party verification such as eco-friendly labels and certifications that give credible information about the product’s origin and its life cycle impact once installed, will offer sustainability assurance.
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for example is a helpful tool for comparing the environmental credentials of one product over another. An EPD communicates transparent and comparable information about the life- cycle environmental impact of products, based on a product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). A standard LCA will assess five stages: production (including raw material extraction), transportation, installation, use and end-of-life.
Indeed, the carbon neutrality of Forbo’s Marmoleum (from cradle to gate without offsetting) is confirmed by an independent Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), which shows that the CO2
removed from
the atmosphere during the growing of its natural ingredients balances out the CO2
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