How to Navigate Earth-Friendly Flooring
In recent years, the push towards sustainability has influenced many aspects of our lives, including our homes. From energy-efficient appliances to eco-friendly cleaning products, there are many ways to make our homes more sustainable. A good place to get started is with our flooring choices. Earth-friendly and sustainable flooring options have become increasingly popular, coinciding with the rise of environmental and sustainability awareness. However, with so many different options available, it can be challenging to know which flooring type is the best choice for your home. With this guide, we’ll break down our earth-friendly options so you can make a better decision for your home today.
Our Green Select Standards
Sustainable flooring is becoming increasingly popular as the demand for eco-friendly products continues to rise. As a top flooring retailer, we are committed to offering the best earth-friendly flooring and carpets in Dulwich. Not only do we offer many earth-friendly options, but we’ve also made it easy to find them with our Green Select label.
· Recyclability
To qualify as Green Select, a flooring product must meet at least one of our established environmental standards. One standard is that the product must be fibre-to-fibre recyclable, meaning they are recycled to create new carpets without any reduction in performance.
· Must Contain Recycled Materials
Did you know that five recycled plastic soda bottles go into every square foot of PET polyester carpet fibre? Carpets created in this way using recycled materials require less energy and water to produce than fibre made from raw polyester.
· Or Be From Natural, Sustainable, or Renewable Sources
Alternatively, flooring can be made from eco-friendly sources. Sustainable flooring materials include wool, cotton, hemp, and bamboo. These materials are eco-friendly and renewable, making them a top option for those who want to reduce their environmental impact.
Overview of the Most Popular Sustainable Flooring Options
There are many exciting new sustainable materials and products in the home interior world, but sometimes your best option is to go with the classics. These staple flooring options have always been earth-friendly and a great fit for your home:
· Wool
Wool flooring offers sustainable and healthy benefits, including its renewable nature, eco-friendly production, low environmental impact, hypoallergenic properties, fire resistance, and ability to enhance indoor air quality. With its natural properties and absence of harmful chemicals, wool flooring is an excellent choice for environmentally and health-conscious individuals seeking a hypoallergenic flooring option.
· Hemp, Linen, or Jute
Hemp, linen, and jute flooring offer a range of sustainability and health benefits. As natural fibres, they are renewable and biodegradable, making them eco-friendly choices. Additionally, they require fewer pesticides and chemicals during production, resulting in lower environmental impact. These fibres are also hypoallergenic, making them an excellent choice for individuals with allergies or respiratory issues. Furthermore, these materials are durable and long-lasting, reducing the need for frequent replacement and ultimately reducing waste.
· Bamboo
Bamboo’s rapid growth makes it a highly renewable resource since it can be harvested every 3-5 years, and it requires fewer pesticides and fertilisers, which reduces its environmental impact. Bamboo plants also absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere compared to other plants, making them an effective tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, bamboo flooring is highly durable and long-lasting, reducing the need for frequent replacement and ultimately reducing waste in the flooring industry.