Eco Flooring Guide

Written by Ryan Robbins

Green is the new trend in floor coverings—­earth-friendly materials that are as easy on the environment as they are on the eyes. Not only are the options presented on the next page—adobe, bamboo, certified wood, cork, and linoleum—primarily made from sustainable resources, but they also emit little if any volatile organic compounds (VOCs), toxins that can cause adverse reactions ranging from dizziness to asthma. (To retain these environmental benefits, be sure to specify that the flooring should not be installed with adhesives that give off VOCs or have ­finishes that contain them.) Once sealed, our quintet of materials are bacteria-, mold-, mildew-, and stain-resistant. And although some are sourced from afar and their transport results in fuel expenditures and carbon emissions that contribute to global warming, each is still gentler to the earth—and kinder to your health—than other standard flooring materials. Following is a breakdown of the selects.

MORE GREEN ARTICLES