Also factored into the equation is using local wood products, thereby reducing the carbon emissions generated by shipping a distance away from the end consumer.

Fortunately for consumers there are unlimited options for sustainable flooring choices today.  Here is just a quick break down of various sustainable categories.

Rapidly renewable products such as bamboo and cork flooring are considered sustainable due to their natural ability to renew or grow quickly.  Bamboo matures in 5-6 years!

Reclaimed/recycled/salvaged wood has a history of its own. Often old tobacco barns, horse fences, non-producing orchard trees and scrapes from furniture mills are created into beautiful hardwood floors.  These woods tell a story!

Engineered hardwood flooring is real wood and uses abundant and less premium woods in the platform and saves the quality wood for the top wear layer.

Harvesting practices and certificates from mills and manufacturers give the details of why and how their product is green.

Certification is a mechanism for identifying responsible forest practices. Forest certification is similar to certification of green buildings or organic agriculture.