BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
Can school sports floors be good for the environment?
G
overnments and institutions around the world are discussing global problems with
plastic and other non-recyclable waste. Complete avoidance of the use of plastics is currently not possible, but it is surprising that in the UK there seems to be no policy that includes simple substitution of fossil fuel derived plastic floor coverings for natural sustainable materials like hardwood. Students are routinely taught about
environmental issues in the classroom. However, within the same schools, head teachers and facilities managers do not appear to see the contradiction in choosing a plastic floor finish for their own sports hall, and other parts of the school. It is not surprising perhaps that students at
home and abroad have staged campaigns and strikes, often with the support of their teachers, to try to bring about change. Little, if any thought is given to the fact that synthetic/man-made floors are ‘a kind of plastic’ – it’s not only food packaging we should be concerned about, plastic is used in so many ways, including sports flooring. Vinyl (PVC) Sports flooring is derived from
crude oil, which is a non sustainable resource. Current estimates report that, at the current rate
November 2021
of consumption (and this is increasing annually), our oil reserves will run out by 2053 – just over 30 years away and at a time when our current students will have children of their own. The manufacture of vinyl flooring creates
dioxins, which are carcinogenic bioaccumulative toxins. These substances pose a health risk to anyone who is exposed to them. The dioxins persist from manufacture to disposal. While attempts are being made to recycle vinyl flooring, currently in the UK, the recycling process can only take “virgin“ vinyl. This comprises offcuts and end of production rolls. Old vinyl floors that have been lifted cannot be reused or recycled and most of the waste is taken to landfill sites. As vinyl flooring is not biodegradable, it sits in landfill for generations. No other plastic contains or releases as many dangerous chemicals. There is no safe way to manufacture, use or dispose of PVC products. An environmentally sound, fully recyclable
option, that offers a much longer lifespan than any other sports flooring surface, is a solid hardwood floor. Junckers’ timber comes from legal and sustainably managed sources, and the company has internationally known FSC® and PEFCTM accreditations. These allow the wood to
be traced from the forest to the final delivery of the finished floor in schemes which are externally audited and rigidly enforced. In addition, Junckers has completed EPDs for its flooring to demonstrate sustainability throughout the manufacturing and material sourcing activities, environmental impact, resource use, waste categories and output flow. At the Junckers factory in Denmark, wood waste is used to power the entire site. This produces more electricity than the company needs so the surplus is sold to the local grid, making Junckers a carbon neutral company. There are many, many ways in which we can
reduce our impact on the environment to safeguard the planet for the future – sports flooring in schools is as good a starting point as any.
Junckers uUnit A, 1 Wheaton Road, Witham, Essex CM8 3UJ
u01376 534 700
usales@junckers.co.uk uwww.junckers.co.uk u@junckersfloors
www.education-today.co.uk 37
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