Environmental Impact of Materials: Floor Finishes

This report provides a review of how floor coverings have been assessed within The Green Guide to Specification, including the application of the Environmental Profiles methodology which underlies it. The way in which floor coverings are addressed in building level environmental assessment schemes such as BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes is also explained. The report will give manufacturers and specifiers an understanding of the significant impacts of floor-covering products over their whole life cycle to identify opportunities for improvements to the environmental performance. It is part of a series that provides comparable information on insulation, cladding, windows, metals, timber, masonry and concrete. These will be of value when considering the environmental impact of specific construction materials.

1. Lessons in Life-Cycle Assessment from BRE’s Environmental Profiles and the Green Guide 2. Floor Finishes and the Green Guide 3. Sector Overview 4. Historical Changes 5. Life-Cycle Assessment 6. How the Updated Environmental Profiles methodology has been Applied to Floor Finishes 7. The Importance of Floor Finishes 8. Key Impacts for the Sector 9. Key Opportunities for the Sector 10. Where More Data are Required 11. Links to BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes/EcoHomes 12. Conclusion 13. Green Guide Ratings For Floor Finishes

BRE, UK