GreenTips

Resilient sheet floor coverings range from totally synthetic, petroleum based products such as vinyl sheet flooring and man made rubber, to those containing totally natural and sustainable products such as linoleum, cork and natural rubber.

Linoleum and cork flooring are made from natural products, can be extremely durable, and are biodegradable at the end of their useful lives. Background information on cork can be found at the Corkmasters website.

A number of manufacturers of synthetic flooring materials have made great efforts to improve the environmental performance of their products by increasing their recycled content. As a result, vinyl flooring manufactured from recycled PVC and rubber flooring made from recycled rubber are now readily available in New Zealand.

Many international manufacturers provide recycling schemes for their products overseas, but because of the small size of the New Zealand market few offer the facility here. In recent years one manufacturer has committed to providing a take back scheme to recycle its New Zealand products. Ask your supplier if they will provide written commitment to collecting and recycling their product on demolition.

PVC used in vinyl flooring has been the target of a number of environmental groups as the production, use and disposal of these materials are known to produce dangerous and toxic pollutants such as dioxins. Greenpeace provide one side of the story; the other side of the story can be seen at the Australian vinyl industry website.

Flooring adhesives are a regular source of internal air pollution. Always select water based low emission glues and adhesives.

The following links provide general background information on the specification and installation of carpet flooring and resilient sheet flooring:
- carpet flooring
- resilient sheet flooring ..

Greenbuild Technical Information Search

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