When you decide on green flooring you exhibit a sense of social awareness and responsibility. A green floor saves on scarce natural resources and makes for healthier living. But the average buyer is faced with a bewildering array of options. Here is a brief analysis that helps unravel some of the mysteries of some of the most commonly used green floors:

• Bamboo is the fastest renewable plant resource in the world which makes bamboo flooring a top choice for eco–friendly flooring. It has a very striking appearance and is offered in a variety of color shades. The downside is that it is grown and manufactured in the Far East which leaves a larger carbon footprint by way of carbon emission in transportation. A buyer must establish whether the adhesive used in manufacture is free of harmful VOCs.
• Cork is a natural renewable resource obtained from the bark of the cork oak tree. It has intrinsic anti-termite and anti-allergen properties which makes cork a healthy choice. Cork flooring is resilient and offers unmatched acoustic and thermal insulation. Mosaic cork tiles are made from recycled wine corks.
• Hardwood: Wood can be reused or recycled and is a natural, renewable resource. However whether all commercially available hardwoods qualify for a green tag is debatable because of the post-harvesting processes. When purchasing hardwood consider a product that has been certified by a recognized environmental agency such as FSC. If selecting engineered hardwood, ensure no harmful VOCs have been used in veneers and adhesives.  Reclaimed hardwood flooring is becoming more and more popular because it's environmentally friendly flooring and it's beautiful
  
• Stone flooring is derived from a truly natural, abundantly available natural resource. Stone flooring has an inordinately long lifecycle at the end of which it can be reclaimed. The downside is that stone is not considered a natural resource. Extracting and processing stone creates problems of soil erosion and water pollution and needs large amounts of energy. Finally stone is mined and transported from quarries across the globe and transportation adds to its carbon footprint.
• Linoleum is one of the most eco–friendly floors, which is made from linseed oil, pine rosin and cork and wood flours. With the renewed interest in linoleum because of its truly green properties, manufacturers have responded by bringing out floorings in more lively colors and attractive patterns.
• Carpet comes in thousands of varieties and patterns that are made of different materials such as cotton, wool and a variety of synthetics. Some brands have a high recycled content using post–consumer carpet and other waste materials. Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is a country–wide initiative that collects carpets for recycling so relieving pressure on landfills. Most brands are manufactured through environmentally-friendly and energy–efficient processes that conform to green standards. When buying carpet enquire about disposal and whether it can be recycled.