Green Flooring Initiatives On The Rise

This article was originally published in Plant Services.

A variety of health and safety standards, environmental regulations and federal programs are influencing development of new floor care products. Among the goals of the “green” flooring initiatives are minimizing toxic ingredients, chemical releases and frequency of stripping and recoating. Further benefits derive from conserving water and energy, preventing pollution and reducing waste.

Voluntary Guidelines
Green Seal is a non-profit organization that awards its seal of approval to manufacturers whose products meet specific rigorous standards, and encourages organizations to become environmentally sensitive purchasers. The Green Seal Environmental Standard for Floor Care Products addresses floor finish and stripper products. For example, Green Seal considers a floor finish stripper to be “green” only if the concentration of volatile organic compounds is 6% or less–significantly less than 15% to 30% found in traditional floor finish strippers.

Federal Initiatives
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with industry to improve human and environmental health through its Design for the Environment (DfE) program. Under the DfE Formulator Program, the EPA teaches formulators how their chemicals and byproducts affect the environment, and how to design safer, more environmentally friendly products that have comparable performance.

Products bearing the DfE logo contain only ingredients that pose the least concern among alternative chemicals in their class. For example, DfE-recognized products that contain a surfactant will readily biodegrade to non-polluting byproducts. DfE partnerships are formalized in a voluntary memorandum of understanding.