Green Flooring

Relevant Flooring & Industry "Certifications "

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) - monitors the actions and practice of sustainable forestry worldwide ensuring wood comes from FSC-certified forests; manufactured with FSC-certified material; and are sold through an FSC chain of custody distribution system. This includes protecting trees, wildlife habitat, streams and soil.

• Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) - establishes a chain of custody management system for wood flooring ensuring Lacey Act compliance.

• GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certified (issued by GreenGuard Environmental Institute (GEI)) - the goal of this third party certifier is to protect human health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air that people breathe.

• Green Seal - promotes the manufacture, purchase and use of environmentally responsible products and services after evaluating such products using internationally recognized methods and procedures.

• GreenSpec - compiled report (similar to a "Consumer Reports") viewable on BuildingGreen.com that offers unbiased green design information on various building products.

• U.S. Green Building Council - non-profit community of leaders working to make sustainable, green buildings while offering building certifications and courses and workshops for individuals desiring to become a LEED Accredited Professional.

• Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) - third party certifier providing Indoor Advantage Certifications of products after they pass laboratory testing and stand up to site audits for emissions complying with high IAQ standards.

Green Glossary of Terms:

• Carbon footprint - the total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full lifecycle of a product or service. Greenhouse gases contribute to global worming and climate change.

• Eco-friendly - Goods derived from and manufactured with a lower impact on ecology and the environment.

• Emissions - Particles and gases released into the air as byproducts.

• Green building - a building designed to conserve resources and reduce negative impacts on the environment, whether it is energy, water, building materials or land.

• Low-VOC - a term referring to reduced amounts of volatile organic compounds released by a finished product.

• Natural - a product produced from ingredients readily found in nature with little or no human intervention.

• Post-consumer - refers to recycled material that was used first by a consumer.

• Pre-consumer / Post-industrial - refers to recycled materials that come from the manufacturing process and has not already circulated in the consumer world.

• Recyclable - a product or material that can be converted back into material that can be used again in the manufacturing of new goods.

• Renewable - a raw material that can be replenished within a reasonable amount of time.

• Sustainable - actions or products that meet current needs without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

• Waste reduction - a process to reduce or eliminate the amount of waste generated at its source or to reduce the amount of toxicity from waste or the reuse of materials.