Recycled Flooring – The Road to Sustainability

The world is quickly becoming overcrowded, and eventually resources will diminish. It has become very important that manufacturers of all kinds develop and promote sustainable products. Over the last decade, floor covering manufacturers have certainly carried their weight.  Working through different programs they have created, the common goal is to reduce the footprint on ecosystems and, at the same time, provide healthier buildings. Eco-friendly and recycled surfaces are the wave of the future.  Here are what some of the nation’s top flooring manufacturers are doing to recycle, recreate and build for a sustainable future.

Armstrong Flooring:

Armstrong has long been an industry leader in countless types of flooring and ceiling solutions. They have multiple programs to keep flooring material out of the landfills and recycled and reclaimed back into new use floors and ceilings.

On&On™ – This national recycling program helps you save money while helping the environment. The On&On™ program reclaims Armstrong LVT and VCT flooring as well as other qualified products, including their competitor’s products, with or without adhesive. Call the Armstrong Recycling Center at 1-888-276-7876 to have your project approved. Armstrong will provide designated recycling bins to dispose of the old floor and then pick up the material. Click here for a brochure.

Samples Recycling Program Pilot – This Armstrong program introduces a new way to recycle flooring samples. As part of Samples Recycling Program, architecture and design firms utilize recycling boxes to collect samples in-house. Students are then invited to firms for educational events where they can earn professional credits, as well as keep the recycled samples for use in design projects.  Ask for more details at the Armstrong Recycling Center at 1-888-276-7876.

Save a Sample! For Art – Armstrong is the official sponsor of this unique program that diverts architectural and design samples and other materials from landfills. Instead of damaging our environment, the design materials are rescued to benefit disabled artisans and other arts programs. Save A Sample! for Art design firm participants simply fill a box with design materials (i.e. fabric, stone, laminate, wood, etc) and register to donate your samples. Click this link to sign up.  Armstrong will then coordinate the donation to one of their artisan groups and send you shipping label(s), along with our box labels.

Armstrong Ceilings:

Armstrong Ceilings Recycling Program – Working closely builders across the country, Armstrong partnerships help customers save money and meet waste diversion goals by collecting old ceiling panels to be repurposed into new, high-recycled Armstrong ceilings. Since 1999, Armstrong has diverted over 200 million square feet of old ceiling materials from going to the landfill, preventing more than 100,000 tons of construction waste. The ceiling panels from various projects around the United States are returned to the closest Armstrong Ceilings plant and upcycled into new ceilings.

ShawContract:

re[TURN] Reclamation Program – Since 2006, Shaw has reclaimed and recycled almost 1 billion pounds of carpet including EcoWorx. EcoWorx products can be recycled into more EcoWorx carpet tile providing a closed loop solution for flooring products. Shaw will pick up EcoWorx products at no cost, bring them back to their manufacturing facilities and turn them into the next generation of EcoWorx carpet tile. Keeps millions of pounds of carpet out of the landfill and reduces overall carbon footprint.

Ecore Commercial

Environmentally Preferable Products

According their website, “Ecore was born “green” and has been making smart choices for more than a century. Ecore started by harvesting the benefits of wood without harming trees (with Ecore cork products),and has evolved into mining waste streams for high performance raw materials, dominated currently by recycled rubber. What Ecore does is actually goes beyond recycling, it is upcycling. Upcycling is the process of taking a material at the end of its life and converting it into something better instead of throwing it away. A tire’s main functions are to support a vehicle’s weight, provide traction, and absorb shock. When we transform tires into surfacing, we are able to harness those attributes and elevate them so that our surfaces provide MORE. More safety, more ergonomics, and more acoustics for the people interacting with our surfaces every day.”

Since 2019, Ecore’s dedication to sustainability has diverted more than 112 million pounds of truck tires from landfills, while only contributing 8.7 million pounds of waste to landfills. That’s a Net Landfill Diversion of 103.3 million pounds. On average, Ecore products contain 62% postconsumer recycled content.

M+A Matting

M+A Matting is dedicated to creating sustainable products with recycled material. They stand by an environmental stewardship and strive to build a culture of conservation. M+A’s SBR rubber compound contains 20% recycled rubber from car tires, and several of their mats are made with PET (polyethylene terephthalate), a synthetic fiber made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. In addition, their 23-ounce PET yarn has been developed to contain 100% recycled content. In 2018, M+A transformed more than 298 million plastic bottles (that might have otherwise ended up in a landfill or ocean) into WaterHog Eco mats. They also recycle nearly 1 million pounds of yarn and other synthetic materials and approx. 200,000 pounds of paper and cardboard each year. Their rubber supplies, Mountville Rubber, recycles approx. 1.25 million pounds of rubber annually.

Daltile

Daltile believes in being innovative and earth-friendly and are dedicated to keeping processes as sustainable as possible, which means reusing, recycling and reducing solid materials and water used to manufacture our products.  More than 98% of Daltile’s manufactured products contain pre-consumer (post-industrial) recycled materials and they have helped prevent an average of over 175 million pounds per year from ending up in our nation’s landfills. The Daltile corporate office has recycled over 340 tons of cardboard and office paper since 2003.

Continental is proud to promote these efforts and encourage all customers to work toward a more sustainable future. We can offer materials only or complete installation services.  GSA Buyers may wish to register online to view GSA pricing. This feature allows buyers quick, up-to-date access to 17 different GSA contracted manufacturers. Please add our website to your list of favorites and check back periodically as we continue to grow our product lines and offerings.  We are committed to fulfilling our role as government flooring and ceiling system specialists by offering you the best pricing, selection and service nationwide. Please feel free to call us for product advice, free samples, assistance in specifications, or to place an order. One call does it all!