Quick•Step believes stewardship and sustainable initiatives should be self-imposed standards for all responsible manufacturers. So it is constantly seeking ways to recycle, reduce, reuse, recover and renew.

It starts in the materials it chooses for its products. According to the BBC, the Brazilian government has reported that 20% of the Amazon forests have already been cleared by deforestation. Quick•Step is proud that its laminate floors enable consumers to enjoy the distinctive look of rare, exotic woods at an affordable price—without harming the Earth’s rainforests. Not one exotic tree is harvested when creating Quick•Step exotics, including Afrormosia, Brazilian cherry, Wengé, Malaysian merbau and Santos mahogany. Core boards are made from managed-forest lumber and recycled wood products. U.S.-produced core boards use only renewable, fast-growing Southern pine.

Next, Quick•Step looks for ways to recycle and reuse materials in all steps of the manufacturing process. On average, 74% of the content of Quick•Step’s U.S.-produced floors are made from pre-consumer recycled material—that which would otherwise be burned or dumped into a landfill. Rather than going to the landfill, rejected product is integrated into its chipboard factory, burned to serve as heat for the laminate process or sent to third-party manufacturers for reuse. Wood waste from manufacturing is used as biomass fuel for process heating in its factories. And its plants utilize 100% clean-burning natural gas and employ heat recovery in major buildings to minimize fossil fuel use and support ongoing efforts to conserve energy wherever possible.

After a Quick•Step floor is purchased and installed in a consumer’s home, it continues to offer environmental benefits. Quick•Step has already achieved compliance with the 2009 California Environmental Protection Agency air quality standards (ATCM—Airborne Toxic Control Measure), with which many other manufacturers in the industry are working to comply. Quick•Step floors do not require glue during installation, so they offer low VOC (volatile organic compound) emission levels, allowing for a healthier living environment. Unique anti-static properties keep the floors from attracting dirt and dust—good news for people with allergies.

Finally, when a homeowner decides to change the floor, she simply unclicks it, removes it and reuses it—either in another room, another home or it can be given away and reused by a community organization— keeping it out of the landfill.

Doing the right thing takes effort, and Quick•Step is showing its leadership in environmental stewardship in all aspects of its business.