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We live in a new age where the main concern for the consumer is rapidly becoming the eco-credentials of a product. More and more people are wising up to the fact that the world’s present economy based upon using non-renewable resources that pollute in their production, use and disposal is no longer viable. We need to change our habits if the human race is going to continue with any level of comfort. Otherwise we are destined for environmental Armageddon. None of this is really in dispute. Even the Chinese and American leaders now admit that climate change is a real and dangerous phenomenon.

There are several ways to judge how environmentally friendly a product is. Is the product made from a sustainable resource? Does it need a lot of energy to produce? Does it need a big input of energy to ship it to you the consumer? Does it contain chemicals that pollute the environment and damage your health? Is it safe to dispose of? Can it be recycled? What is the total carbon footprint involved in making, packaging and distributing the product? Is the product more energy efficient than other similar products? All these issues are complex. Often they are quantifiable but often not easily so; and sometimes green issues conflict.

When considering the environmental benefits of varying flooring choices the consumer is faced with a wealth of information to consider. Carpets used to be the number one choice of flooring type but it has since come to light that 95% of carpets have an SB latex backing that contains styrene. According to the US Environmental Protection agency styrene is toxic and possible carcinogenic. Many carpets also contain nylon, a petroleum based product. As we all know petroleum is not a sustainable product and petroleum derivatives are hard to safely dispose of or re-cycle. Laminate flooring is made from a melamine resin that contains the toxic volatile organic compound called formaldehyde. Engineered hardwood flooring is less toxic but doesn’t last very long. Hardwood flooring does last a long time and is a natural product with no toxicity to either people or the environment. However, hardwood flooring comes from trees that take up to 130 years to reach maturity. Trees are vital to the world’s eco-system to absorb carbon and produce oxygen. Not to mention the wealth of medicinal uses tree products have. If anything is certain, environmentally speaking, it is that we should not be chopping down trees for our flooring purposes.

Bamboo flooring and strand woven bamboo flooring is a much better option because bamboo only takes 4 to 7 years to grow. It is a sustainable resource because it renews so quickly. Bamboo like hemp has so many amazing properties that are beneficial to people and the health of the planet. The main downside to strand woven bamboo flooring is that it needs a lot of energy to make and to ship from China to Europe, Australasia and Northern America.

Even better is to use the hardwood that we have already chopped down but for one reason or another and no longer need. Buildings due for demolition, unused barns, abandoned mine shafts, building waste, park waste, land fill sites and even the bottom of lakes and rivers are full of unused hardwood. It is a simple matter involving a small amount of energy to dry the recycled hardwood and mill it into reclaimed hardwood flooring. The resulting flooring is every bit as strong, durable and beautiful as hardwood flooring. The fact that reclaimed hardwood flooring can be sourced locally and is recycling old hardwood makes it the most environmentally friendly flooring. What is more reclaimed or antique hardwood flooring is often cheaper than new growth hardwood flooring and bamboo flooring. For these reasons reclaimed hardwood flooring is the most environmentally friendly choice of flooring.