Bathroom Blogfest 2009: Environmentally Friendly Bathroom Flooring Choices October 27, 2009
Posted by Shannonbilby in : Bathroom Blogfest 2009, Green , add a comment
My Big Bob’s blog has been invited to participate in the 4th annual Bathroom Blogfest. During the annual Bathroom Blogfest, bloggers from around the globe write about the importance of bathrooms in the customer experience. Posts come from a wide range of perspectives that include sociology, marketing, research, psychology, environmental, customer experience, and user-experience design. Our contributing post today is on environmentally friendly bathroom flooring choices.
We define Green Flooring as any flooring that is sustainable, eco-friendly, contains recycled content, is recyclable, leaves a small carbon footprint or has low VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compound). There are different degrees of green when referring to different types of flooring.
Below are some of the green features and benefits of different types of bathroom flooring:
Cork
- Better than a renewable resource because it is a harvested resource (only the bark is harvested from the tree)
- A recycled product because cork floors are made from the waste cork that makes wine stoppers.
- A law in the 1930’s called “The 9 Year Law” was passed to keep cork from being harvested any sooner than every 9 years. The tree has to reach 60 cm in circumference before it can be harvested. The first harvest from a cork tree can only occur at age 25.
- The tree is not destroyed or damaged when harvesting cork.
Bamboo
- Bamboo is a rapidly renewing resource that matures in three years
- It regenerates without need for replanting
- It also requires minimal fertilization or pesticides
- There are currently is FSC certified bamboo options available so it is important to see what you can confirm about the bamboo you are interested in before purchasing.
Carpet
- According to the Carpet and Rug Institute: The carpet industry is minimizing carpet’s impact on the environment through the new “3 Rs” which stand for reduce, reuse and recycle. When carpet reaches the end of its long life, it is reused to make new carpet or is recycled into a variety of products, ranging from roofing shingles and railroad ties to automotive parts.
- Factors that determine if carpet is “green”: carpet fibers, dye, VOC emissions, and recycled content.
- The Green Label and Green Label Plus from the Carpet and Rug Institute ensure that customers are purchasing among the lowest emitting carpet, adhesive and cushion products on the market.
Stone
- It’s a natural product
- It has an enduring life cycle so it doesn’t have to be replaced
- Ease of care and maintenance
- Recyclable
- Quarry and manufacturing use best practices
- Can be reclaimed
Hardwood
- Natural Resource
- Renewable
- Recyclable
- Suitable for a “healthy home” environment
- Forests are managed for replanting
Linoleum
- Made from all natural materials
- The natural raw materials used to create Linoleum are available in abundance: linseed oil, rosin, wood flour, cork flour, ecologically responsible pigments and jute.
- These raw materials are harvested or extracted with relatively little energy consumption. The main energy resource for the process is the sun. The plants and trees that supply linoleum’s raw materials also contribute to the production of oxygen and the subsequent reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thus reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses present in the atmosphere.
- Can be recycled
- The energy obtained from incinerating linoleum is roughly equivalent to or even more than that which is used in production.
- Linoleum can be safely added to landfill refuse sites, where natural decomposition takes place. Linoleum is fully biodegradable and does not release harmful substances or gases such as chlorine and dioxins.
- Adhesives are 100% solvent free and meet all low VOC requirements
- Does not require maintenance from harmful chemicals
- Linoleum contains virtually no trace of toxic material and is naturally beneficial to air quality.
Ceramic Tile
- Rarely release emissions
- Some contain recycled content
- Long lasting and not replaced frequently
- Requires little maintenance
- Value is unclear due to it’s weight causing more fuel during transportation
If you are interested in green flooring for your project, please contact us at 1821 S. Arizona Ave. Yuma AZ 85365 or 928-217-5551 for more detailed information or samples!
To follow other participants in the Bathroom Blogfest, here’s a list of other participating Bathroom Blogfest bloggers:
- Susan Abbott at Customer Experience Crossroads http://www.customercrossroads.com
- Reshma Anand at Qualitative Research Blog http://onqualitativeresearch.blogspot.com/
- Shannon Bilby at From the Floors Up http://fromthefloorsup.com/
- Laurence Borel at Blog Till You Drop http://www.laurenceborel.com/
- Jeanne Byington at The Importance of Earnest Service http://blog.jmbyington.com/
- Becky Carroll at Customers Rock! http://www.customersrock.net;
- Leslie Clagett at KB Culture www.kbculture.blogspot.com
- Katie Clark at Practical Katie http://practicalkatie.blogspot.com/;
- Iris Shreve Garrott at Checking In and Checking Out http://circulating.wordpress.com/;
- Julie at Julie’s Cleaning Secrets Blog http://cleaningsecrets.greatcleaners.com/
- Marianna Hayes at Results Revolution http://www.resultsrevolution.com
- Maria Palma at People To People Service http://www.people2peopleservice.com/
- Professor Toilet at Professor Toilet’s Blog http://www.professortoilet.com/
- David Reich at My 2 Cents http://reichcomm.typepad.com/
- Bethany Richmond at The Carpet and Rug Institute Blog http://www.carpet-and-rug-institute-blog.com
- Carolyn Townes at Becoming a Woman of Purpose http://spiritwomen.blogpsot.com
- Stephanie Weaver at Experienceology http://experienceology.blogspot.com;
- C.B. Whittemore at Flooring The Consumer http://flooringtheconsumer.blogspot.com and Simple Marketing Blog http://www.SimpleMarketingBlog.com
- Linda Wright at Lindaloo.com: Build Better Business with Better Bathrooms http://lindaloo.com/
Other ways to follow the Bathroom Blogfest:
The website: http://www.BathroomBlogfest.com
The Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bathroom-Blogfest/124443309541?ref=ts
Twitter: @BathroomBlogfes
This year’s sponsor of the Bathroom Blogfest: http://www.bathroomblogfestdeal.com/
