One of the hottest trends in flooring today is the selection of environment- friendly options. Some of the top green options include cork, bamboo, linoleum, wood and wool. Additionally, recycling programs allow the flooring industry to do its part. Blakley’s Flooring, in Indiana, is one company with environment-friendly flooring options in addition to a recycling program that helps benefit others.
Cork is the outer bark of the cork oak tree, and is used for a variety of products including engine gaskets, wine corks and of course, flooring. During the manufacturing process, much of the work is performed with traditional hand labor and most of the energy used originates from recycled cork waste. Cork is a great choice for high-traffic areas and is an excellent insulator from sound and vibration.
With bamboo, no natural resources are depleted because it is actually a grass. Bamboo often seems like hardwood because of its rigid texture, and comes in vertical and horizontal styles. Since 1944, manufacturer and importer Teragren has been upholding a mission to help reduce the dependence on timber by manufacturing bamboo options. Also considered to be “lucky,” bamboo provides a durable and yet contemporary option.
Linoleum is made from natural materials and is considered durable with antimicrobial properties provided through the continued oxidation of linseed oil over the flooring’s life. Linseed oil is produced when seeds from the flax plant are pressed together. It comes in several colors and is usually provided in sheets. However, it can also feature a snap-together installation method with a cork attached to the back.
Some hardwood options come from socially responsible forests where five trees are planted for each one cut down.
Wool is both renewable and biodegradable in addition to being the most durable and resilient carpet fiber. It is naturally soil resistant, repels water, accepts the deepest and richest colors of dyes and is flame-retardant. Additionally, wool carpeting helps improve air quality by absorbing contaminants in the air.
With each new flooring job, several pounds of flooring materials are often wasted and dumped into landfills. Realizing that this was detrimental to the environment, Blakley’s Flooring implemented a recycling program and adopted a green commitment. Each month, Blakley’s keeps 20,000 pounds of refuse out of landfills, which is enough to fill two three-car garages every day. This unique recycling program provides fuel to Indianapolis homes and businesses. If the materials were not recycled, it would take more than 1,000 years to decompose.
Blakley’s owns its own shredding machine that breaks down old flooring materials including carpet, vinyl and wood. The shredded materials are taken to Indianapolis Power and Light. IPL then converts the materials into steam, which helps power Indianapolis.
If you are interested in Blakley’s environment-friendly flooring options or recycling program, please visit our Web site at www.blakleys.com or call us at 317.576.8200 (near Castleton) or 317.575.0440 (Carmel).
