Benchmarking Flooring and Flooring Companies

	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N
1	Last edition to this table was made on 2020
2	Ranking	Material	Toxic Ingredients / health safety	Carbon Footprint	Renewable Resource	Recyclable / Biodegradable Resource	Sustainability of installation process	Sustainability of manufacturing process	Lifespan	Cost	Durability	Score	Notes

3	1	Reclaimed Hardwood	Healthy, contributes to good air quality if correct kind is used	While there are some CO2 emissions during manufacturing and transportation, they are generally quite low.	Yes	Yes	Interlocking system means no adhesives.	The milling/manufacturing process for reclaimed wood is typically pretty low impact, making it fairly sustainable.	Very long	$8 to $10 per square foot	Scratch prone, moisture prone, prone to a termite attack.	24	#1. Reclaimed Hardwood - Best and Most Sustainable Flooring Types One Community
4	2	Virgin Hardwood	Healthy, contributes to good air quality if correct kind is used	Trees must be grown, harvested, transported to manufacturing and milling which can lead to a carbon footprint that is not insubstantial.	Yes	Yes	Interlocking system means no adhesives.	significantly increased carbon footprint that from harvesting and manufacturing virgin hardwood compared to salvaged hardwood.	Very long	$6-$10 per square foot	Scratch prone, moisture prone, prone to a termite attack.	22	We ranked virgin hardwood higher than cork, as cork flooring requires additional adhesive (which could potentially be toxic, depending on the brand of flooring) to maintain its form. This is in addition to a final finish.
5	3	Cork	Possibility of adhesive being toxic	Cork from oak trees is harvested every 8 years, so carbon footprint from trucks is less. Preparation using boilers is a negative but its sustainable process leaves no waste. Since cork (particularly on a construction basis) is almost exclusive produced in Portugal and Spain, the bulk of carbon emissions comes from the transportation from Portugal to other countries.	Yes	Yes	Floating process - very sustainable. Glue down requires adhesives and a sub-floor to be prepared.	Highly sustainable. One demerit of use of boilers to prepare cork.	10-30 years	$4 to $8 per square foot	Prone to indentations and scratches.	22
6	4	Bamboo	Many made with urea/formaldehyde which emits harmful VOCs. Alternatives that are low/no VOC are more common though. Floorscore certified, TSCA title IV certified, Greenguard certified, etc. are increasingly common and affordable, so we're giving this a medium-good benchmark based on those.	Transportation footprint is high as bamboo is mostly grown in southeast Asia. However, there are several manufacturers that are carbon negative or carbon neutral, despite CO2 Cost of transportation. This is particularly the case if manufacturing is done in the same area that harvesting is done.	Yes, roots remain planted promoting growth every year after harvesting	Yes	Glue down requires adhesives. Other methods require an underlayment for which sustainable alternatives exist too. From both ends, an extra material needed implying lesser sustainability. Underlayment is generally needed for almost all flooring. Cork underlayment exists.	Carbonization, removal of potentially harmful grime, insects, etc. requires boilers.	Up to 25 years	$5 to $9 per square foot	Denser than oak, warps less, sturdier, however does not do very well in humidity.	19
7	5	Concrete	None, this option is an anti-allergen and actually supports good air.	High due to manufacturing process.	Concrete is made with generally abundant materials (such as limestone and shale) but they are not renewable.	Can be crushed up and used as fill.	Medium-good. Colorizing agents can be toxic though, so eco-friendliness must be ensured. Mixing the concrete, pouring (which requires machines of varying sizes, depending on the size of the floor) and polishing are all fairly energy intensive. The fact that this cannot be installed without machinery is why we don't believe this is "good" on the sustainability rating.	High energy needed, produces CO2.	Lifetime	$2 to $30 per square foot	Susceptible to cracks if not installed properly. Needs strong foundation but not prone to scratches or dents.	18	Concrete especially ranks higher than laminate because of its lower toxicity and increased durability.
8	6	Laminate	Uses formaldehyde. Binding adhesives have to be used even for the safest options, so there's the potential to be toxic. However, alternatives that are low/no VOC do exist. Floorscore certified, TSCA title IV certified, Greenguard certified, etc.	While manufacturing process is high, sourcing raw materials is not as bad, particularly if recycled content is used. In many cases, laminate flooring is upwards of 70% recycled content, so we're ranking this as medium-good based on those options.	Yes, it is a wood product	Laminate flooring is almost impossible to recycle or reuse. It cannot be placed in a recycling bin, and even most recycling plants will not take it directly as it is energy intensive to recycle. So it almost always needs to be returned to the manufacturer for recycling (if they recycle).	Subfloor and adhesives needed. Low VOC adhesive options exist.	Binding adhesives are toxic and high heat is used for manufacturing.	10 to 30 years	$3 to $8 per square foot	Durable, resists scratches, moisture and wear and tear. Less visually appealing.	17	Laminate flooring was chosen over Linoleum as our #6 choice because, while its carbon footprint is similar to that of linoleum, it is less toxic and made from a simpler process of combining renewable (mostly wood) resources.
9	7	Linoleum	VOCs are released with bad odor and can affect people who are very sensitive to strong odors	For manufacturing process it's high, sourcing raw materials its not high	Primary raw materials are linseed oil, pine rosin, sawdust, cork dust, limestone, and jute - almost all of which are renewable	Yes	Subfloor and adhesives needed. Low VOC adhesive options exist. Heat-weldable option requires a welding gun.	VOCs are released manufacturing and oxidation is an important step which requires large amounts of heat.	Up to 40 years	$2 to $5 per square foot	Strong but prone to denting by sharp objects.	17
10	8	Tiles (glass)	Grout used is highly toxic, has silica which can cause breathing issues.	Generally high due to the energy intensive process of manufacturing. However, recycled tiles have the least among all tiles, due to lower kiln temperature needed.	By technical definition, glass is not a renewable resource. However, it's made from sand, which is an abundant resource.	Yes	Grout is highly toxic, releases VOCs.	Uses kilns, so not very sustainable. Though glass tiles use almost half the energy as ceramic, and recycled glass even less still.	75+ years	$5 to $40 per square foot	Prone to scratches and breakage.	16	We ranked tiles higher than carpet due to their lower toxicity, durability, and easier ability to be recycled.
11	9	Broadloom carpet	Possible pesticides, prone to insects, sheds fibers. Prone to attracting dust and hence VOCs.	High energy use from tufting machines.	Yes	Can be recycled but rarely are.	Low-VOC adhesives/hook fastener system.	Dyes can be toxic, tufting machines need electrical energy.	Very high	$5 to $26 per square foot	high strength	16
12	10	Vinyl resiliant flooring	After they are installed, vinyl flooring products can off-gas for a number of years; the VOCs emitted include lead, cadmium, and phthalate plasticizers.	Vinyl requires high energy to melt, bake and form, which creates a high carbon footprint.	As a petrochemical-based product, vinyl consumes a nonrenewable resource.	While pre-consumer vinyl can be recycled, when it’s lifecycle comes to an end, vinyl ends up in landfills where they do not decay. Millions of pounds of vinyl tile are dumped in landfills each year or burned.	Adehsives are generally needed, and while a few low-VOC options exist, they are generally hard to find.	Vinyl requires high energy to melt, bake and form. The materials used to make Vinyl flooring are inherently toxic, continuing to off-gass even after the manufacturing process is over. Additionally, adhesives are used for installation. While a few low-VOC options exist, these adhesives are generally toxic.	10-30 years	$2-$6 per square foot	Cannot be repaired, but is fairly scratch and dent resistant.	12
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14	Score (in decreasing order)			Good + 3 pts.			Medium-good + 2 pts.		Low / Bad + 1 pt.
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