We are living in times of urgent environmental and social change. Flooring manufacturers are exploring ways to create a healthier, fairer and better future. Here’s a look at five companies making an impact for a better world.

1. Transforming Plastic Bottles into Circular Flooring

HMTX created an entirely new, non-vinyl, circular multilayer flooring system bred from innovations in sustainability, the circular economy, and biophilic design: SRP TPU flooring.

SRP TPU flooring transforms waste plastic bottles into innovative, circular flooring. Two plastic bottles (PET) are upcycled into each square foot of SRP flooring, which is constructed with a PET top layer, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) core layer, and a cross-linked polyurethane foam back layer. SRP flooring can be ground up and transformed into an engineered TPU giving HMTX the ability to recycle each plank into new planks, making it a circular product.

Its first debut is through the Mycelium Collection, which features 20 digitally printed SKUs in biophilic-designed planks and tiles, hosting modern, unique wood looks along with organic abstracts inspired by mycelium’s construction and impact on the ecosystem it inhabits. The collection is offered in both 12”x 24” tiles and 8.66”x 49.2”planks, all elevated with an in-registered emboss.

2. Going Beyond Neutrality

“In the end of the day, climate change is not something we can ignore. We cannot be neutral,” said Tim Conway, VP of commercial sustainability, Shaw Contract.

As a result of Shaw’s investments to help reduce its energy and greenhouse gas impact, the company have cut its Scope 1 & 2 emissions 60% since its 2010 baseline. The goal is to achieve net zero operations by 2030.

While making this progress, Shaw Contract has been taking a broader look at sustainable design and manufacturing and how culture influences those spaces. Design has the power to help build culture and connection by creating spaces that draw people together. The new Cultura Collection is a celebration of the unique ways we connect and create harmony through shared experiences, empathy and understanding. The Cultura Custom Collection includes a diverse range of patterns and constructions that can be used together and layered throughout lobbies, public spaces, corridors, and guest rooms, creating thought provoking interiors that are designed for immersive experiences, creative inspiration, or quiet reflection.

3. Improving Indoor Air Quality, One Floor at a Time

Tarkett teamed up with Dr. John McKeon, CEO of Allergy Standards Limited, to address the affect flooring has on indoor air quality. While respiratory illness is on the rise among all Americans, research shows it disproportionately affects vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. Since Americans typically spend 90% of their time indoors, good indoor air quality is a critical part of asthma and allergy management. But not everyone has equal or equitable access to healthy air. Some studies show up to 80% of health outcomes are determined by environment and people’s behaviors in that environment.

The Indoor Air Innovation and Research Academy, part of is teaching design thinking principles, journey mapping and patient-centered design to improve lives.

“We know that our environments impact our health,” said Dr. John McKeon, CEO of Allergy Standards Limited. “A person tasked with procurement is not a surgeon, a nurse, or a meditation coach, but when they choose what flooring or air conditioning unit to use, they have a big role in designing, constructing, operating and maintaining our built environments, which in turn has a big impact on our health outcomes. The impacts of their decisions reverberate down the entire chain. If we think about a B2B or employment setting, for example, the way we ventilate, clean, and maintain a safe work environment goes beyond facilities management. It’s also relevant for HR management.”

4. Flooring That Repurposes Ocean Plastic Waste

Plastic pollution is a growing crisis. We make more plastic than ever before, and billions of pounds end up in the world's oceans every year. Benchwick, a subsidiary of Northann Corp., has taken a small step towards removing and repurposing ocean plastics with Blue 11, an ultra-light rigid core flooring product which features a core made with 80% recycled ocean plastic. Recycled ocean plastic is made from plastic waste that is directly recovered from oceans and waterways, cleaned and processed for reuse. The waste is harvested from oceans and waterways, cleaned and processed and put to good use, according to Benchwick CEO Lin Li. Blue 11 planks have a locking profile and an attached recyclable foam underlayment. They are 100% recyclable and carbon neutral.

5. Manufacturing LVT with Lower Embodied Carbon

Taking Root, Mohawk Group’s first platformed LVT collection, is manufactured in the company’s closed-loop manufacturing facility in Georgia, lowering emissions in the distribution process and optimized material sourcing. The company said its enhanced product circularity efforts in domestic manufacturing have led to Embodied Carbon values 45% less than the industry average.

The line’s two 18" x 36" styles, Transfiguration and Mycotexture, were inspired by mycelium growth and mushroom structures, and are both available in either a 2.5-mm or 4.5-mm thick construction. The collection’s third style, Zone Lines, draws its inspiration from spalted maples, which result from mycelium growth that creates a unique patterning in wood grain. Zone Lines is available as a flexible plank in both a 2.5-mm and 4.5-mm thickness; or as a 6-mm rigid click plank with an attached pad, with slightly varied plank sizes per construction. To further explore the design story behind Taking Root, Mohawk Group commissioned ArtLifting artist Lindsay Holcomb to create an original piece based on the hard surface collection.