By Matthew Spieler
With the green movement now mainstream, every manufacturer and industry is searching for ways to promote itself as being environmentally friendly. Some products are easier than others to promote because, in addition to the green components companies may use to produce them, they possess inherent qualities that give them an eco edge from the start. In flooring, manufacturers will point to laminate as one of those product types.

“Laminate flooring has a number of inherent qualities that are considered green,” said Milton Goodwin, Armstrong’s general manager of laminate and ceramic. “First, laminate is made from wood chips/fiber. And you can use any type of easily renewable species—pine, oak, etc. Also, everything but the bark and leaf are used so you utilize close to 100% of the tree, making for less waste.”

Terry Stern, product manager for Quick•Step, added a major inherent green quality comes from the fact laminate floors replicate the real thing. “Because laminate can effectively imitate any of the popular endangered materials, we can give the consumer the look she wants without a negative environmental impact.”

The fact that just about all laminate floors in the market today utilize some type of mechanical locking system is also a built-in environmental advantage officials note. Besides using less overall materials to install the product, Tino Couto, senior product manager for Torlys, said the locking systems mean the product can be “easily repaired without lifting or repairing the whole floor and without the need for any power tools. Torlys has developed a tool for this purpose—the Bulldog— which allows you to lift the damaged plank and replace it easily.”

Betsy Amoroso, communications manager for Mannington, said in addition to not needing glue to install the product, “we use no adhesives in the manufacturing process, either— the product is created using heat and pressure only.”

Laminate flooring is also a very durable product that requires minimal maintenance. These attributes, say executives, mean no harsh chemicals are needed to clean the product and it is long lasting.

“Laminate flooring has a long life cycle, resulting in less need for replacement—and, thus, less discarded flooring sent to landfills,” explained Cindy Thornton, marketing manager for Alloc/Berry.

Beyond what are considered laminate’s built-in green attributes, manufacturers are quick to point out they are doing additional things to make their products even more environmentally friendly.

Eric Erickson, Shaw’s laminate product category manager, said beyond just using easily renewable wood for the core, the company makes its Enviro-Core from recycled wood fiber, “which means fewer trees are used with less waste.”

Others also note their use of recycled materials, such as Quick•Step’s Stern who said more than 78% of the content of the majority of its U.S.-produced products comes from post-industrial wood waste.

Reduction of waste is accomplished in a number of other methods, Erickson added, such as “in our packaging since 99% of the material used is diverted from the landfill through the use of reusable or recyclable material. The packaging for finished products uses cardboard made from 45% postconsumer recycled content and recyclable plastic. Most importantly, 100% of the post- ndustrial manufacturing waste from our Ringgold, Ga., facility is diverted from the landfill and used as fuel, mainly for Shaw’s Waste-to-Energy facility in Dalton.”

In addition to using recycled materials for packaging, Armstrong’s Goodwin said the company has reduced the amount of ink it uses. “We now use a two-color process instead of the traditional four-color.”

Mannington’s Amoroso added, “Our decorative paper layer is printed using water-based, low-VOC inks; and the thermoset melamine resin system is also water based.”

While some tout the fact their floors can be re-used, such as Torlys which actually states “up to three times under warranty,” Couto said the company recognizes there will come a time when the consumer doesn’t want the floor anymore. When that time comes, “Torlys laminate floors can be donated to the Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores where she will receive a tax receipt for the donation. Our philosophy is to rethink the ay we purchase flooring and ‘Reduce, Renew, Reuse.’”

Getting the word out

With so many green qualities to promote, laminate mills, like most other categories, are starting to put these messages into their marketing and promotional materials to better educate customers.

“The laminate flooring category has just begun to promote the strength of its green story,” Stern explained. “We just launched our Quick•Step Greenworks program at Surfaces this year. The program walks distributors, retailers and consumers through the complete Quick• Step green story. We have integrated this into our merchandising materials: Web site, catalogs, displays, sample boards and all other literature. This allows people to make well-informed decisions on green flooring products as well as allowing them to observe the impact they have in our daily lives.”

Goodwin added, “This movement is still in its infancy. The thing is, there is a generic green story for laminate, and then each company has its specific story. Armstrong will be rolling out its story for laminates later this year.”
With companies just starting to get their green stories out, many say the category has been for the most part good in terms of not going overboard in its eco promotions.

“I don’t think it’s overstepped its bounds—not in this case, anyway,” noted Amoroso. “There’s a fine line between extolling its virtues and greenwashing so we have to be very mindful of that. Our goal is to educate the salesperson so that they can help their customer make an informed choice. It’s best to stick to the facts and keep it simple and relevant.”

Thornton summed up the general feeling and attitude of most companies: “As we continuously improve product quality, we’re ensuring that the lifespan of [laminate] flooring is maximized. We are committed to meeting and exceeding environmental requirements, and we integrate this commitment into our annual strategy and budget.”