Environmentally preferable flooring can help reduce or eliminate waste, pollution, energy use, and can even save you money. Some of the many environmentally preferable flooring choices include:

• Earth (literally, a floor of stabilized, compressed earth, which can be sealed with natural oils such as linseed oil for a semi-glossy finish)
• Cork (the renewable bark of the cork oak tree can be harvested every 9 years – without harm to the tree)
• Linoleum (a natural alternative to vinyl flooring that is non-toxic, biodegradable, and lasts much longer)
• Concrete (which may be used without additional floor covering and may be stained, colored, coated, and etched with decorative designs)
• Tile (which may contain recycled glass or plastic and may be reusable and recyclable)
• Bamboo (which is as resilient as hardwood but is a far more rapidly renewable resource)
• Carpet (wool and other natural fibers are available in carpets and area rugs, and synthetic carpets that are recycled and recyclable can dramatically reduce the flow of carpet to the landfill)

For the ground floor of slab-on-grade construction, consider earthen flooring or finished concrete. (An underlying layer of insulation is a good idea, if possible.)

When using carpet, seek recycled-content, recyclable, and/or natural fiber carpet. Avoid standard non-recycled, non-recyclable, non-biodegradable carpet. Cork flooring may also be an excellent substitute.

If you are considering vinyl flooring, consider linoleum instead, which lasts longer and is natural (but may cost more.) For wood flooring, consider a rapidly renewable source such as bamboo or cork.

Whenever possible, strongly consider refinishing existing wood floors, rather than covering or replacing them unnecessarily.

The extraction, manufacture and transport, and disposal of flooring materials pollutes air and water, depletes resources, damages natural habitats, and can have negative health impacts. For example, hardwood flooring requires logging hardwood trees such as oak or maple, that take decades to centuries to fully mature. Standard synthetic carpet is made from petroleum, may release toxic gases into indoor air for long periods after installation, and is neither recyclable nor biodegradable. Vinyl flooring, made from petroleum, produces toxic waste during manufacture, has a short useful life and is not biodegradable or recyclable, and can slowly exude various additives of concern to long-term health.

The benefits of environmentally preferable flooring materials include reduced landfill waste, lower embodied energy, good local availability, gorgeous appearance, reduced impacts from harvest or mining of virgin materials (such as logging and the use of non-renewable petroleum resources), and health benefits (such as reduced or eliminated off-gassing, reduced dust and pollen, and easier cleaning).

For More Information:

GreenBuilder Sustainable Building Sourcebook: Flooring - Intro

Oikos
Oikos contains extensive links to manufacturers of environmentally preferable building materials, including flooring.

Center for Resourceful Building Technology
Provides information about environmentally preferable building materials in general, including flooring

Greenguard
Provides independent evaluations of the indoor air quality effects of construction materials and furniture. Requires free registration.

California 1350 Special Environmental Requirements
Emissions standards for an array of materials, developed by the state of California, recognized for their quality and thoroughness, and being adopted by a variety of organizations.
In Adobe Acrobat format. Click to download.