Nowadays, it’s more important than ever for everyone to do their part to help take care of the environment. Whether that means using reusable bags at the grocery store, driving an electric car or using residential solar panels, there’s many different ways for people can take steps to become more environmentally conscious. Even the flooring used in a home can have an impact on the environment. Here are some of the different flooring options on the market for homeowners who want to help make their home a bit greener.

Wool Carpeting

Carpeting is easily one of the most popular flooring choices to use in homes. It’s soft and stylish, but traditional carpeting is made of synthetic material will end up filling landfills because it doesn’t degrade. Homeowners who like carpet can instead purchase carpet made of wool. Because wool is 100% natural, there isn’t a risk of it lasting hundreds of years, and it has additional benefits as well. Wool is a renewable material that can be gotten from many different animals without hurting them, and it naturally resists dirt and is fire retardant. 

Bamboo

Homeowners love the look of hardwood floors, but traditional hardwood is both expensive and can encourage deforestation if it isn’t harvested responsibly. A greener alternative to traditional hardwood floors is bamboo wood flooring. Bamboo can give the same classic look of normal hardwood at a fraction of a price and without having to worry about contributing to deforestation. Whereas normal trees take at least 20 years to grow to the point where they can be harvested, bamboo only takes 3-5 years, so it’s far more sustainable.

Reclaimed Hardwood

Another great alternative to traditional hardwood floors is floors that utilize reclaimed hardwood instead of wood that is brand new. Reclaimed hardwood can come from any number of sources, but it’s all wood that has already been used for something else previously such as a deck, a fence, a barn, and so on. Upcycling this wood prevents it from being thrown into a landfill and gives it a new life as a floor that can last decades.

Glass Tile

Glass tile floors are a bit like reclaimed hardwood in that they’re made from recycled material. Glass that used to have life as windows, bottles, and more is melted down and recycled into tiles that can be used to pave bathrooms and kitchens. What makes glass especially great is that it can be recycled indefinitely, so if the homeowner ever decides they want a different flooring option in the future, the tiles can be recycled again so they can be turned into pickle jars or artisan paperweights.

Cork

Cork is a unique flooring option compared to the other previous entries. It’s soft but isn’t a type of carpeting, and it comes from trees but isn’t wood. Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree, which can be removed from the tree without causing any harm to it. The bark takes about three years to grow back and can be harvested over and over so long as the tree is taken care of. Because of this, it’s a renewable resource, and homeowners can use without feeling any guilt for killing trees.

These are just some of the different eco-friendly flooring options available on the market for Dickinsfield homeowners to install in their homes. For more options and help deciding which is best, consult a flooring expert at a local hardware store.