So you are a facility manager, concerned with your carbon footprint, searching for materials that do not negatively impact your resources while ultimately improving the quality of an indoor environment. And you tread carefully and cautiously, when wading into the figurative waters of a project. You are probably recognized, as a respected member of the local community; one of many reason your business thrives. Word gets around and your customers likely trust your judgment.
Professionals exploring alternatives for green certified flooring products and green thinking building managers who are eager to achieve specific sustainability goals are motivated to meticulously plan their project. During the planning phase, here are a few eco-friendly searches to get you started:
FloorScore
GreenGuard
Green Label Plus
Cradle to Cradle
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Health Product Declaration (HPD)
Beware. In some instances, certified green surfaces made with natural, rapidly renewable, and chemical-free ingredients may be misleading. It doesn't necessarily mean that these surfaces and ingredients aren't laborious and don't require chemically laden maintenance protocols for durability and cleanability.
Recognizing the above, preferred surfaces are ones with simple sustainable cleaning methods, neutral cleaning solutions and EPA-registered disinfectants without requiring sealing, stripping, waxing, or finishing. Some more efficient alternatives may even be overlooked, as they are hiding in plain sight. Mats and matting for example are often underestimated, sadly.
Flooring mats and matting empower us to scrape off and brush away contaminants, while absorbing moisture effectively. Mats and matting systems, installed at every point of entry leading into the the facility, can effectively intercept: bacteria, dirt, dust, ice melt, moisture and other unwelcome substances. Many professionals consider mats and matting to be an affordable insurance policy against grimy dirt reaching and subequently damaging an interior surface; often prematurely.
Having mats and matting materials at every entrance is also likely to make maintenance an easier task for the client. Building entrance systems are designed to promote healthy indoor air quality by filtering out exterior pollutants including: pollen, pesticides, chemicals, oil, dirt, and other contaminants, which frequently enter into most buildings largely uninvited on the shoes of unsuspecting visitors and building occupants.
Any efficient entrance system acts as a contaminent filter: intercepting the majority of external air pollutants at the door.
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