We know that Monterey
Peninsula residents care about the environment, and we want
to do our part by offering sustainable and green flooring
materials to
homeowners. Floor Store USA carries
product lines that are environmentally friendly from several
manufacturers such as Mohawk, Shaw, BR-111, Solida, and
more. Just about every type of flooring comes in an
environmentally responsible option--even hardwood! When
looking for a green flooring option, consider:
Carpet made of recycled
plastic, recycled bottles, or natural materials such as
wool, jute, sisal or seagrass
Hardwood made from
reclaimed wood, certified forest timber, or
engineered
flooring
Keep reading below for
information on three flooring manufacturers (Mohawk,
Shaw,
and BR-111) that have taken steps to
become environmentally responsible in their manufacturing
and business practices.
Mohawk has
adopted many practices and programs to promote environmental
stewardship and sustainability.
Mohawk Industries uses
nearly 25% of all recycled plastic bottles in North
America. That’s almost 3 billion bottles annually --
which makes Mohawk one of the few companies that
purchase more waste than they produce! And since 1999
Mohawk has been operating the world’s largest plastic
bottle recycling plant, located in Summerville, Georgia.
The recycled bottles are made into Mohawk’s Everstrand
line of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) carpet fiber.
Hardwood floors can also
be environmentally responsible. Mohawk’s Antique
Artisans line of hardwood flooring is made from
reclaimed lumber. When buildings are torn down, the
material (including the old lumber) is sent to the
landfill. To minimize the amount of lumber going into
landfills, Mohawk converts the old lumber into hardwood
flooring. The resulting floor is beautiful, as the wood
has true character and a rich history.
The Mohawk manufacturing
facilities that produce ceramic tile recover and reuse
all water involved in the manufacturing process. That is
a big accomplishment for a ceramic tile producer.
Mohawk has cut the amount
of water used to manufacture carpet in half from 1995 to
2003.
Mohawk’s laminate
products use 75% pre-consumer recycled materials,
keeping 680 million pounds of material
out of landfills.
Six times more trees are
planted than harvested by Mohawk suppliers.
Shaw Carpets
also operates a recycling facility in Georgia. But at Shaw’s
Evergreen Nylon Recycling facility in Augustine, they
recycle old nylon carpets and makes them into brand new
carpet. Through their efforts, Shaw keeps nearly 300 million
pounds of carpet out of landfills each year. The carpet
produced at this recycling plant is labels AnsoCarpet.
In addition, all Shaw
Industries broadloom and carpet tile products meet the
standards required for the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green
Label and Green Label Plus. The certification means that the
products have been tested to ensure that they are low in
chemical emissions or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The
Green Label Plus certification means that the products have
met additional requirements set forth by California’s
Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) for low
emitting materials. With these certifications, you can be
sure that the carpet is safe and healthy for use by
everyone.
BR-111 is another company that has taken steps to
ensure that its products are manufactured with the safety and
sustainability of the environment in mind. Much of BR-111’s exotic
species timber comes from Brazil, a country notorious for
detrimental logging practices and rampant deforestation. BR-111
actively supports the Brazilian Environment and Renewable Resource
Institute (IBAMA), which is the Brazilian government’s environmental
protection agency. IBAMA monitors timber companies in Brazil to
ensure that logging is done in an environmentally responsible way
and has minimal impact on the environment. BR-111 strives to ensure
compliance to IBAMA standards, and actively takes steps to supports
its goals.
BR-111 also helps the local Brazilian economy by
employing over 400 people at its Indusparquet manufacturing
facility. The state of the art facility provides many benefits to
the workers, such as fair wages and hours, a safe working
environment, health care, and cafeteria service.
The BR-111 Foundation was started in an effort to promote
socio-economic progress in Brazil. Along with supporting IBAMA and
responsible resource management practices, the BR-111 Foundation
provides services for underprivileged children in Brazil. The
foundation supports the Rubens Moraes Educational
Institute (RUMO) - providing education, social services, and
healthcare to children in impoverished communities of Brazil.
1666 Contra Costa Avenue Sand City, CA 93955 Tel: 831-583-9124 Fax: 831-583-0132
Proudly Serving the Residents and
Businesses of Monterey, Seaside, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Carmel
Valley, Marina, Salinas, and Big Sur with Earth Conscious and Environmentally
Friendly Flooring Options.