What’s new in Sustainable Flooring? A lot – from new products like rubber tile, to new programs and processes like material reclamation.

For example, companies like Bentley Prince Street (Los Angeles County, Calif.) are developing leading edge technologies resulting in new and innovative green products and processes. Bentley recently developed a process to create Scan and UPC, commercial carpet as a result of an engineering process that re-purposes post-production “waste” yarn for broadloom and carpet tile products.

Both products are created from post-production yarn, or “tail outs,” the small cone of yarn that is left over at the end of a production run varying in size from several ounces to a number of pounds. As part of its continuing commitment to sustainability, Bentley Prince Street developed a manufacturing process to re-purpose this waste, merging yarns from different dye lots into one product; Bentley Prince Street utilized its five most popular undyed yarns from post-production runs of some of the best selling styles. The thread up of these five yarns creates the pin-stripe look of Scan and UPC.

All Bentley Prince Street products made with either High Performance backing or LIFESPAN backing are included in the Environmentally Preferable Product certification by Scientific Certification Systems, an independent, third-party certifier.

A variety of sustainable flooring products continue to enter the market this year.

Carpet

Interface’s (LaGrange, Ga.) new Proscenium Collection, designed by David Oakley, uses a combination of linear and geometric elements for commercial interiors. Available in eight patterns and eight colorways, the carpet is manufactured from a blend of Invista and rapidly renewable poly-lactic acid (PLA) fibers.

Milliken Carpet (LaGrange, Ga.) manufactures environmentally sensitive modular carpet collections including Theory, Way (shown) and Simply for commercial, education, healthcare, and government use with an abundance of green innovations. Comfort Plus cushion backing extends carpet life up to 50 percent by absorbing wear, protecting the carpet face and ensuring better appearance and longer performance. All 36” tufted Comfort Plus backed commercial modular carpet is available with ES (Engineered for Sustainability) backing, which has up to 35 percent recycled content based upon the total weight of the product. The recycled content is 89 percent Post-industrial, 10 percent Post-consumer, and one percent rapidly renewable resources. TractionBack, a patented high-friction coating, allows adhesive-free installation. Eliminating adhesives enhances indoor air quality, reduces waste and removes concerns regarding off gassing and VOCs. All Milliken carpet is 100 percent recyclable.

Mannington Commercial (Calhoun, Ga.) introduces Topography and Regions, new patterns in a modular carpet tile. With a random pattern, the company says the 18 x 18 inch tiles are designed to efficiently fit into a space with less waste. Plus, they are constructed of Antron Lumena Type 6,6 nylon, a fiber certified by Scientific Certification Systems as an Environmentally Preferable Product.

Beaulieu Commercial (Adairsville, Ga.), through their brand, BOLYU Contract, now offers a carpet tile backing called Nexterra that features a high-performance PET backing that utilizes 35 percent post-consumer content from recycled water and soda bottles. Three styles are currently available all offered using Honeywell Zeftron nylon with 25 percent recycled post-industrial content.

Healthier Choice (Dalton, Ga.) offers residential carpet cushion including 7/16-inch green, 3/8-inch gold and 5/16-inch blue foams to meet a variety of residential carpet needs. The company reports that their products have low VOC emissions and is 100 percent recyclable. Healthier Choice cushions include the anti-microbial Ultra-Fresh which prevents the growth of odor causing mold, mildew and fungus. The Ultra-Fresh protection system is also available in the company’s line of Sound Solution acoustical underlayments for laminate, engineered wood, hardwood, ceramic and vinyl floors. Sound Solution is made of 70 percent recycled fiber.

Carpet and Tile

Floorcoverings manufacturers Crossville (Crossville, Tenn.) and Bentley Prince Street (Los Angeles County, Calif.) have teamed up to announced a co-marketing alliance targeted at interior designers, architects, and other specifiers, emphasizing the complementary colors and styling of Crossville’s Porcelain Stone tile and Bentley Prince Street’s carpet and carpet tile product lines.

Rubber

FLEXCO (Tuscumbia, Ala.) offers FlexTuft rubber tile, a highly durable indoor/outdoor product made of 90 percent post-consumer waste from tires. FlexTuft rubber tile is designed to withstand repeated water dousing, heavy loading, high traffic and direct exposure to the elements. Its durable, stain-resistant and anti-slip properties make it ideal for sports facilities, weight rooms, skating rinks, boat docks and airport terminals.

FlexTuft is available in modular tile units or rolls with four color options, including Tweed, Delft and Gray, Cranberry and Gray, and Spruce and Gray.

“Green by Design” is the theme as To Market continues to demonstrate leadership in product development and design with the introduction of EarthShapes. Unique in construction with its use of geometric shapes in coordinating patterns and colors, this recycled rubber flooring collection represents creativity through innovative styling resulting in an environmentally responsible use of color, design and texture. Manufactured from post-consumer recycled tire rubber along with EPDM colored granules homogeneously mixed throughout, EarthShapes is the newest addition to the Atmosphere Recycled Rubber Flooring series of styles. The EarthShapes collection consists of three color coordinated styles: Structure, Discovery, and Exploration.

ECOsurfaces Commercial Flooring (Lancaster, Pa.) recently introduced five new color blends under its ECOnights color line. Made from recycled tire rubber and EPDM, like all ECOsurfaces products, the new designs feature colorful medium and jumbo-sized granules scattered against a field of black.

Freudenberg Building Systems, Inc., manufacturer of nora rubber flooring (Lawrence, Ma.) introduces norament 925 grano FS, a rubber floor covering that uses a low-emission releaseable adhesive to facilitate installation, removal, and reinstallation of the flooring.

norament 925 grano FS is particularly suitable for installation on raised access floors, including offices, computing centers and laboratories, where individual tiles can be removed and installed again following modification work or cable-laying jobs. Bonding with nora’s 412 releaseable adhesive makes the repeated removal and installation of flooring tiles possible. norament 925 grano FS is PVC-free. The product is made of high quality rubber, mineral fillers and environmentally compatible color pigments.

Terrazzo

SensiTile Systems (Ann Arbor, Mich.) SensiTiles, developed using a new patent pending technology, are reactive to changes in light intensity and color. SensiTile tiles transport light from one surface point to another by Total Internal Reflection. In an environment with ambient light, such as daylight, shadow-producing movements around a SensiTile will produce a rippling effect. In darker environments, beams of light are redirected to emerge from another part of the surface. At the same time, SensiTiles absorb and “bleed” colors. If colored light falls on a SensiTile, echoes of that color are dispersed throughout its surface. Because SensiTiles properties are inherent, no power is required.

SensiTile Terrazzo is embedded in concrete to give it the durability, flexibility and aesthetic of natural stone. SensiTile is extremely durable and can be applied to almost any surface, from exterior architectural surfaces, façades, fountains and swimming pools to interior countertops, tabletops, flooring and walls.

Linoleum

Forbo (Hazleton, PA) introduces Marmoleum global 2. With Marmoleum global 2, Forbo has highlighted and enriched the specific design characteristics that made the Marmoleum global 1 collection such a success. New in the collection is the subtle, non-marbled design range, Marmoleum piano. Multi-color welding rods are available for the entire Real, Dual and Vivace lines. Multi-color welding rods make floors appear seamless, and offer endless possibilities. Each part of the global 2 collection is complete, with harmonious ranges of colors and tones.

Recycled

Mats Inc. (Stoughton, Mass.) introduces Green Grid, a 100 percent recycled modular entrance system that scrapes, wipes and contains large volumes of dirt and debris. Green Grid is made from at least 25 percent post-consumer recycled material, balance post-industrial recycled. It also is visually attractive, easy to maintain and helps prevent slips and falls.

Roppe Corp. (Fostoria, Ohio), a leading supplier of commercial rubber and vinyl flooring products and accessories, is proud to introduce EcoEffect, a new brand created to denote products that are manufactured using environmentally friendly methods or raw materials.

Roppe products made with renewable resources or post-industrial / post-consumer waste will be more easily identified with the development of the new EcoEffect brand. Those brands include Pinnacle Rubber Base, Fiesta tile and tread, SafeTcork tile (shown) and tread, Rop-Cord tile, North Coast Collection vinyl tile lines and various other rubber and vinyl tread and accessory products. Roppe adhesives feature microbial growth inhibitors designed to prevent the growth of mold and mildew while also emitting low VOCs.

Other

Rikett (Bergen, Norway) reveals Rikett quartz resilient floor tile, certified by GREENGUARD. Considered the “smart choice” by architects, designers and facility managers, Rikett quartz provides an earth friendly flooring solution in educational, healthcare and retail building environments.

Rikett quartz is an affordable, high performance (2000 psi) tile, made in the U.S. of 70 percent abundant, environmentally friendly quartz. Quartz provides exceptional flexibility, strength, longevity and vivid colors.

Earlier this year, Smith Flooring (Mountain View, Mo.) completed its first run of FSC-certified oak flooring since achieving chain of custody certification from the Forest Stewardship Council late last year. The recent flooring run, approximately 200,000 board feet, was made from lumber produced from trees grown in the Pioneer Forest, a privately-held 154,000-acre hardwood forest in the Ozark Mountains of south central Missouri that gained FSC certification in 2003. The company expects annual production of the FSC certified flooring to be approximately 1.2 million board feet.

Free Axez USA (Burlington, N.J.) is a supplier of low profile raised flooring and access flooring systems for wire management and cable management. Free Axez is fabricated from 38 percent (minimum) recycled steel, and is 100 percent Reusable, Recyclable, and Refundable via a buyback program. The floor can be re-used many times due to re-location or floor plan changes. Free Axez contains no Concrete, Wood or Plastic, and requires no glue, screw or fasteners to install. The parts simply connect together - no cutting of metal is required.

Invista Reclamation Center

In 2002, the INVISTA Reclamation Center (Calhoun, Ga.) became the first carpet reclamation facility to be certified as a carpet reclamation and processing facility under Scientific Certification Systems’ Environmental Claims Certification Program. And, after a second rigorous evaluation, the INVISTA Reclamation Center was recertified in 2004. Reclamation is an easy process that takes your worn carpet and transforms it into something usable again. Since opening in 1991, more than 100 million pounds of used carpet resulting in more than 400,000 cubic yards of conserved landfill space have been diverted from landfills.

Restart Reclamation Program

Johnsonite (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) launched RESTART in January 2005, a materials reclamation program. As part of the new program, Johnsonite will retrieve its used materials and then recycle or repurpose the material into a new product. RESTART initially will launch with the reclamation of rePLACE demountable wall base and track. The vision of RESTART is the eventual reclamation of rubber tile and treads.

Participating in Johnsonite’s RESTART reclamation program is easy for customers. Once the original product is removed and prepared for pickup, customers can request a Return Goods Authorization number from Johnsonite. After Johnsonite has received the original product, the customer will receive a certificate that verifies the reclamation of the product and the pounds of material diverted from a landfill.

Online Green Building Products and Programs Launched

Washington, D.C. - The Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability (MTS), Kath Williams + Associates, BNIM Architects, and Sustainable Products Corporation launched 21 Online Programs promoting global sustainability. More than 90 Sponsors participated in filming these programs at the National Wildlife Federation studios. The programs feature over 80 global experts and are based on 14 transparent, consensus, and life cycle based standards. They also provide invaluable information with nine covering green buildings, and 12 covering sustainable and environmentally preferable products. For further information, visit http://mts.sustainableproducts.com.

The Brick Industry Doesn’t Want To Be Left Out…

Raleigh, N.C. - With the movement of creating more sustainable design construction, many people are revisiting brick as a sustainable building material. One of the first steps toward building environmentally sensitive structures is to select the best materials. Brick can be used to contribute points toward having a project certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). In fact, the very first LEED-certified school in the U.S., Third Creek Elementary School in Statesville, N.C., was built with brick. Architects, builders, and homeowners are choosing brick for its beauty and design flexibility, but also for its unsurpassed life cycle, exceptional energy efficiency, natural ingredients and countless recycling options.

Energy-efficient homes not only save money for the homeowner, they also reduce the nation’s energy needs and build a cleaner environment. Brick’s thermal mass makes it an energy-efficient material. Recent studies have shown that brick homes can lower heating and cooling cost by up to eight percent over vinyl homes of a comparable size.

In addition, brick has an estimated 100-year life cycle, dramatically longer than other exterior siding materials such as fiber cement, vinyl siding and EIFS, according to the AIA Environmental Resource Guide. The actual embodied energy of brick (the energy required to mine, manufacture and transport it) is lower, which translates into significantly lower energy consumption and pollution manufactured over the life of the product when compared with other materials. Brick is also 100 percent recyclable.

The value of building green and green design principles reduce the impact on natural resource consumption, enhances occupants’ comfort and health, and minimizes the strain on local infrastructure. Brick has virtually no emissions and is 100 percent safe (brick is fireproof, as well as water- and insect-resistant). With brick’s green attributes, as well as its timeless beauty and durability, it is no wonder builders and consumers alike are finding brick to be part of the “green” solution.

For more information on building green with brick, please visit Brick SouthEast at www.gobricksoutheast.com. Brick SouthEast has industry experts and an architectural design board with leading architects available to discuss the emerging trend of sustainable design as well as the environmental benefits of using brick.