The green movement has come of age. A growing number of companies are now marketing their stories of environmental commitment or friendliness. Some products, such as laminate flooring, lend themselves to being sold as green—from mimicking a natural resource as opposed to actually using it, to less raw materials needed to manufacture and install it, laminate flooring possesses various qualities that highlight its eco-friendly benefits from the word go.

But mills are also quick to point out that laminate is not the end all, be all of green offerings and shouldn’t be sold as such. Recognizing the ease that it takes to “greenwash” a product and possibly ruining its reputation, many manufacturers have launched marketing programs to properly promote the environmental friendly qualities of laminate flooring. At top of mind is the education of consumers and retailers, which allows for a better selling/buying experience.

Roger Farabee, vice president of marketing for Mohawk Industries’ Unilin Flooring division, maker of Quick•Step, cited the parent company’s Greenworks program as an example of how a manufacturer is working to help retailers properly sell the product’s green attributes. “The program walks distributors, retailers and end users through the complete Quick•Step green story. We’ve integrated this into our merchandising materials: Web site, catalogs, displays, sample boards and all other literature. This lets people make well-informed decisions on green products as well as allowing them to observe the impact they have on their daily lives.”

Milton Goodwin, Armstrong’s vice president of laminate and ceramic products, added, “The green movement is still in its infancy—especially for laminates. The point is, there is a generic green story for laminate and then each company has its own specific story.”

He noted that most consumers know laminate has many inherent green qualities. “For the consumer who wants an exotic look yet is eco-conscious, there’s an obvious green advantage in laminate. She knows we didn’t cut down that tree to make the floor—she understands laminate is the alternative.”

“There’s a fine line between extolling the virtues of laminate flooring and greenwashing,” said Betsy Amoroso, communications manager for Mannington, whose goal is to educate retail salespeople so they can help their customers make an informed choice. But because laminate flooring has so many green attributes (see related story), “it’s best to stick to the facts [during the selling process] and keep it simple and relevant.”

Farabee noted, in today’s tough economy, laminate’s selling story is better than ever. “As consumers become more discerning than ever about what to spend on flooring and what impact it will have on the value of their homes, laminate will benefit because of its tremendous price/value equation. She can have a very upscale, realistic visual at a fraction of the installed price of wood or natural stone and, most importantly, without a negative environmental impact. This is a huge selling advantage for our category versus other floor offerings as our customers continue to focus more and more on being green.”