Sustainable Flooring
Taking Care of Our Home Planet Starts at Home
We’ve taken a look at two of our favourite sustainable flooring initiatives that combine premium luxury flooring with materials that are durable, look and feel good, and are kinder to the environment.
From The Ocean Floor, To Yours
Sedna, a new range by Associated Weavers in partnership with the non-profit Healthy Seas started its life as abandoned fishing nets on the ocean floor.
Since 2013 Healthy Seas have been removing abandoned and discarded fishing nets from the ocean. 200 volunteer divers have helped remove nearly 600 tons of waste fishing nets and have made a significant impact in reducing ‘ghost fishing’ that claims the lives of dolphins, turtles, seals, and other marine life. Healthy Seas also works with fishing industries and farms to reduce the impact of abandoned nets in the future.
These nylon fishing nets are then converted into ECONYL, a regenerated nylon that’s even better than ‘new’ nylon and can be easily re-used again and again in the future. ECONYL breaks down recycled carpets and nets into the basic building blocks of nylon, ensuring the highest quality of new material. The recycled nylon is then converted into a super soft nylon yarn to create Sedna – luxurious, super-soft, and ocean-kind carpets. Not only has Associated Weavers created carpet that is super soft, it’s also super durable. The green-appeal of Sedna carpets extends to the textile backing made from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles.
Forest-Friendly Flooring
Renowned for their premium wooden flooring, Woodpecker are understandably passionate about trees. Their forward-thinking focus started by looking back to their past. Three generations of the same family have been leading the way with Woodpecker since it started in the early 70’s in Bristol. What are they doing to earn their forest-friendly reputation?
It starts with the wood they choose for their flooring ranges. As part of their sustainability promise they only source wood from responsibly managed, sustainable forests. Certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, the FSC’s ‘tick tree’ logo means their flooring is ensuring forests are alive for future generations. Their complete wood flooring collection is FSC certified (more than 80 products) and even their laminate flooring is certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification.
Woodpecker also uses a process of strand weaving bamboo fibres to create flooring that’s incredibly strong (the boards have the tensile strength of steel!) and also one of the most eco-friendly flooring materials on the market. Because of its fast growth, bamboo ‘timber’ is forest-kind and regenerates within 5 years. Bamboo flooring from Woodpecker comes in different colours and plank styles, has been designed for easy install, is water-resistant, and has natural anti-bacterial properties.
Beyond their FSC certification and use of bamboo, Woodpecker has committed to be the first carbon negative flooring company. As a first step towards their 2030 goal, they are planting 50,000 oaks to create 200 acres of woodland in South Wales.
Where To Get Sustainable Flooring in the UK?
Floor Factory are proud to stock the full range of Woodpecker’s premium flooring and Associated Weavers’ Sedna carpets. Contact the team for a free quote or visit our showroom to see and feel for yourself.
