Aside from the actual materials that flooring is made of, the manufacture and transport of flooring can also have a negative impact on the environment. Both processes use large amounts of energy and resources, as well as producing significant amounts of waste and pollution – all leading to damage to the environment.

Waste and Pollution

Most pollution historically comes from industry, with certain industries bearing a higher share of the blame than others. Traditional flooring manufacture has been one of the biggest culprits, not only using many petroleum-based products and other non-renewable resources, but also consuming large amounts of water and energy.

At the same time, the manufacturing processes have produced large volumes of greenhouse gas emissions as well as ejecting tonnes of toxic chemicals and substances. Furthermore, the distribution of flooring often involves long distances and extensive air and road travel, consuming even more energy and producing even more carbon emissions.

Pollution comes in many forms – there is point source pollution, which derives from a specific outlet, such as a factory or manufacturing plant or even quarry, and then there is diffuse pollution, which can come from a number of sources and cover a large area, such as the fumes from vehicles used in flooring transport, which contribute to greenhouse emissions and other negative environmental phenomena, such as acid rain. Many flooring systems produce substances as they degrade, which float up to the stratosphere and deplete the ozone layer, further contributing to global warming and the ‘greenhouse effect’.

Air pollution is a serious problem and over half of the pollution comes from industry waste, such as burning, smoke and toxic gas emissions. Landfills and other waste facilities also play a role in lowering air quality while vehicle emissions – such as from heavy transport trucks travelling long distances – continue to make a significant contribution to atmospheric pollution. Air travel is the new threat, as it is making a rapidly increasing contribution to carbon dioxide emissions and the consequent influences on dangerous climate change.

Single pollutions incidents can also wreak havoc on the environment, such as toxic spills or accidental release of raw waste from an industrial flooring manufacture plant. These pollutions disasters not only kill wildlife and vegetation in the surrounding area but can remain in the environment for decades, maybe centuries, further degrading the land, killing wildlife and poisoning groundwater systems and atmospheric air, thus forcing its toxic influence far and wide. In 2005, there were almost 1,000 pollution incidents in England and Wales which caused a serious impact on the environment.