By Bill Dearing President, North American Laminate Flooring Association
Laminate flooring is a great choice for those who are environmentally conscious. It is easy on natural resources, made from recycled wood or other wood derivatives, recyclable and free of air-damaging chemicals. But not all laminate flooring is created equal. Only NALFA-certified flooring meets the demand by consumers, retailers and manufacturers for a green laminate flooring product with proven, third-party-tested quality.

As the developers of quality standards testing for laminate flooring and the NALFA Certification Seal, we have taken the lead in adding a sustainability standard (currently pending, anticipated in spring 2010) to cover the laminate flooring industry that assists consumers and others in judging whether given products are environmentally friendly and should be purchased.

These standards will help address some of the confusion consumers may encounter when they purchase laminate flooring in an industry with a large and diverse product offering. Through the NALFA Certification Seal, which may appear on manufacturers’ product packaging, all those who encounter the product will have a trusted indicator to the quality and environmentally friendly nature of the product.

The pending environmental testing includes meeting regulations for laminate flooring core board set forth by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) sections 93120-93120.12, title 17, of the California Code of Regulations. Products will be measured for formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

In addition to the pending environmental requirements, NALFA-certified laminate flooring is subjected to ANSI/NALFA LF-01-2008 product standards. Tests include, but are not limited to: static load, thickness swell, impact resistance, light resistance, cleanability/stain resistance, wear resistance, dimensional tolerances and castor chair resistance. Products are approved in four categories: heavy commercial, commercial, light commercial and residential. NALFA also encourages its membership to continue to be environmental stewards. The environmentally friendly actions and improvements of our members cover a wide range of environmental activities. They include:

• how the companies interact within the community such as community outreach and support for organizations that have green objectives;

• educating the consumer through print and online marketing materials; and

• what they are doing behind their own walls, such as inter-office recycling, structuring to further support sustainability, improving processes and operations, reducing product packaging and developing innovative products.

It is NALFA’s plan to continue to pursue an environmentally friendly agenda and continue to develop product standards that are beneficial to the industry and the consumers it serves. We welcome and encourage participation in our efforts by all interested parties.