Choosing eco friendly flooring

In this eco-friendly article, we look at how to recycle DIY waste and also how you can choose sustainable flooring for the home.

Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd. The theme for this year is "Restore Our Earth", focusing on how we can come together to help restore the environment. You may not think it, but simple things like how we treat our flooring can make a big difference. To begin with, let's look at how you can recycle your old flooring.

DIY waste recycling

The latest government waste report revealed that 25.6 million tonnes of waste were collected from UK households, which has increased by 5% since 2018. With the convenience of online shopping and the growing numbers of home DIYers, what can be done with all the leftover DIY waste?

Going to the local tip is always an option. If you've done some personal DIY in the home, it's always best to check with your local council whether there are any DIY waste fees at the recycling centre. Rules on this differ between local councils, but for a more eco-friendly alternative, we've got a few suggestions you can try.

Recycle / upcycle old flooring

There are plenty of options out there to how you can recycle your old flooring. If you have some vinyl cast-offs, then the RecoFloor scheme can help you find a local flooring distributor to take it off your hands.

However, for those with a creative streak, there is always the option of upcycling your old flooring. Laminate can be taken and used for homemade signs, or vinyl can be cut off and repurposed into coffee table coasters. The possibilities are endless!

Now that you know how to treat your old flooring, what should you consider when buying new?

Environmentally friendly flooring

Flooring technology has continued to evolve, with manufacturers moving more and more towards greener technology. Even so, there are a few factors you could consider when looking for eco-friendly flooring.

Duration

By choosing a floor for life rather than for a few years, you're making a more sustainable decision for the home. On the plus side, a long-lasting floor isn't hard to find, with some manufacturers even offering a lifetime residential guarantee. Some examples of this are Moduleo LayRed, Universal Rigid Click, and Berry Alloc Ocean laminate flooring.

Material

It's important to consider the materials made to create your new flooring. The Moduleo flooring collection is a great eco-friendly choice, as all the products are made from 50% already recycled materials. Plus, Moduleo flooring uses water-based inks and PU coatings that emit zero fumes, making scraps and cut-offs wholly suitable for the recycling bin. 

Floorcare

Maintaining your floor should be a straightforward process using materials that won't harm the environment. The James Floor Care collection uses no harmful chemicals, and better yet, all the products are fully bio-degradable!

Now it's all good and well with us telling you ways to become more environmentally responsible, but how do we adapt this green thinking to our business?

Eco-friendly values

Best4flooring promotes a "zero to landfill" waste policy. One of the ways we do this is by using a Kenburn Carpet Crusher to compact and recycle both carpet and underlay waste. This waste is collected, shredded and reused for different purposes such as equestrian flooring. ​We're also a proud member of Carpet Recycling UK, the non-profit association dedicated to reducing carpet waste sent to the landfill.

If you want some help choosing an eco-friendly flooring option for your home, then don't hesitate to contact our team of flooring experts.