Sustainable is a word that we hear often. It means “maintain at a certain level or rate”. Using products that are can be maintained is much healthier for the environment. Sustainable development can happen in many forms and by different industries, including home design and décor.
Eco-friendly materials reduce air pollution and lower the risk of allergies, asthma, or other medical conditions.
Flooring is a major feature of any home. Today, people want their wood flooring to be visually attractive and add to the beauty of their rooms. When choosing the best options to cover their ground surfaces, there are many sustainable options on the market.
1. Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring is popular because it is attractive, durable, water resistant, and fast growing. It takes far less time and energy to produce bamboo than trees. While the flooring can be more expensive than laminate flooring initially, the long term personal and global benefits of using bamboo wood for your floor significantly outweighs your short term cost.
2. Coconut Timber
Coconut timber wood is made from the old trees that can no longer grow fruit. The wood is attractive, strong, and durable. Coconut timber gives continued life to the trees that would otherwise be cut down and destroyed.
3. Cork Flooring
Cork is known for it’s many amazing features. It is a great insulator that reduces heat loss and decreases noise levels. It is also a very buoyant product that does not permanently warp or alter in density or shape. Cork flooring is environmentally beneficially because the entire tree does not have to be cut down. The bark is removed and, if done correctly, does not harm the trunk of the tree. The cork bark can be harvested from the same tree every nine years saving forests and wildlife.
4. Reclaimed Wood
Reclaimed wood can come from many sources including: old buildings commercial and residential dwellings, wood-made products like wine barrels or pallets, fallen trees, and boxcars. Reusing wood saves forests and landfills because fewer trees are cut down and quality wood products are not left sitting in garbage dumps.
5. Linoleum
This all-natural product has made a comeback in flooring design in recent years because of it’s numerous beneficial and eco-friendly qualities. Linoleum is a plant-based product that is completely biodegradable. It does not fade or trap dirt on the surface, making it easy to clean. The product is long lasting and has natural fire-retardant features. Even the waste is milled and reused.
6. Natural or Recycled Carpet
Carpeting is made from a variety of materials including natural resources such as cotton, coconut husk, wool, sisal, and jute. The rugs can be made using new or recycled fibers, giving fresh life to still usable fibers.
Some carpets are made using only 100% recycled natural or synthetic fibers which has a significant impact on how much old carpet is thrown into the landfills. Eco-friendly dyes and glues are also used making rugs today very environmentally friendly.
7. Recycled Rubber Flooring
Using recycled rubber products like old tires creates strong, durable, long lasting flooring material that not only saves you in personal costs, but is environmentally friendlier than producing synthetic rubber and filling landfills with old, unwanted products. While rubber cannot be used in every room because of the chemical compounds, it can be used in bedrooms, recreation rooms, living areas, and porches. Recycled rubber floors can last up to twenty years.
Reusable and eco-friendly flooring is not only attractive, but a healthy and environmentally sustainable alternative to home flooring.
