How environmentally friendly is vinyl flooring?

Because Traviloc and other vinyl flooring is PVC based its “Green” credentials are often questioned. The article below explains the issue in more detail.

Environmental ratings and sustainability are starting to dictate what products are being specified. So how does Traviloc shape up?

Vinyl flooring is made from naturally abundant and / or recycled material and is exceptionally energy efficient to manufacture. It has a long service life, is one of the easiest and most energy efficient floor coverings to maintain and because it is a thermoplastic, it is 100% recyclable at the end of its life.

Vinyl flooring is made up of PVC, fillers, additives, stabilisers and colour pigments. Over the last ten years vinyl manufacturers have stopped using additives and stabilisers containing dangerous products such as cadmium and lead and moved to friendly substitutes including zinc, calcium and tin.

It is also very important to understand that as the only plastic not made from a petroleum source, vinyl can be said to be environmentally friendly.

While some vinyl tiles contain up to 90% recycled vinyl, Traviloc falls into the category of “luxury vinyl flooring” which by definition means it is made from 100% virgin vinyl and is classed as “resilient flooring”. This means it is able to comply with the stricter European norms and is completely DOP and formaldehyde free. Obviously, vinyl floors manufactured using recycled vinyl cannot guarantee that their products comply with the same standards.

The South African building industry is regulated by the “Green Star SA” rating system. Because of the advances made in manufacture and pressure from local industry, the Green Star SA body has, as of the end of 2011, withdrawn what was known as the “Mat 7—PVC minimisation credit”.

This has significantly helped to strengthen the environmental credentials of Traviloc and other vinyl flooring in South Africa.