Environmental Statement

Hardwood Flooring

Without trees, we wouldn’t be here!

Without trees, life on Earth would not be possible. Trees provide us with the air we breathe, their roots filter the water we drink, their leaves shelter us from the sun and rain, and they provide a home for some of the most fascinating and complex ecosystems on the planet. As a wood flooring distributor, we are dependent on trees and it is our responsibility to select and purchase our wood flooring responsibly.

Our contribution towards the environment

As a responsible company we insist that all our suppliers are certified by a recognised forestry protection agency. This ensures all timber is sourced from legal forests, is harvested in a sustainable manner and no endangered species are used. In doing so we accept that there will be times that we cannot compete on price with cheaper products from non-certified sources.

WoodWorks wood flooring has three layers which are sourced from:

- Top wear layer – selected prime grade material; sourced from various sustainably harvested forests and plantations around the world

- Middle core layer – Hevea, grown for latex rubber production and recycled at the end of its productive life into furniture and flooring; certified by the MTCC (Malaysian Timber Certification Council)

- Bottom stabilising layer – Spruce veneer, grown as a plantation timber; certified by FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council)

Everybody must play their part in protecting our forests and the environment.

Are you silently supporting illegal logging by not checking if your wood flooring is certified before you purchase?

View our FSC Chain of Custody Certificate…

Free of harmful chemicals

Surface Coatings
 

Compared to traditional solvent based urethane finishes, our water based acrylic UV-hardened finish is environmentally friendly as it uses no solvents. It fulfils highest international environment standards and is certified to be free of: Formaldehyde, Organic Solvents, Halogenated Hydrocarbons, Heavy Metals, Pesticides, Herbicides and Insecticides

View Lacquer Environmental Certificate…

Adhesives

The 3-layer construction is bonded by adhesives which meet the E1 Standard for formaldehyde emission.

View E1 Formaldehyde Emission Certificate…

Cleaning Agents

The UV-hardened surface coatings are durable and easy to clean, minimising pollution from chemical cleaning agents and waste water. The use of Bioclean and Refresher is highly recommended both for the best cleaning results and environmental friendliness.

Efficiency, waste reduction and recycling

The yield of cut veneer from the timber raw materials is maximised by a process of careful grading at many stages during manufacture. Natural imperfections in the grain of the timber are either cut out or the timber is used in other products which feature more liveliness and character.

The manufacturer is accredited to ISO 9001:2000 ensuring that their processes are efficient, waste is reduced and quality is controlled throughout the manufacturing process.

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo is one of nature’s wonders, credited with being the fastest growing plant in the world and having the same tensile strength as steel. Bamboo is the ultimate in sustainability; it grows 10-20 times faster than hardwood trees and has a self-regenerating rhizome root system.

Bamboo is an environmentally friendly alternative to wood but not all bamboo flooring is manufactured in a responsible manner. WoodWorks Bamboo flooring is manufactured:

• From responsibly harvested mature Moso bamboo
• Using low formaldehyde resins which meet the E1 standard
• Using acrylic lacquers which are free of any VOC’s and solvents
• In a factory certified to ISO:9001 Quality and ISO:14001 Environmental standards

At present the debate between the FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) and INBAR (International Bamboo and Rattan Association) is continuing regarding how to evaluate the sustainability of bamboo flooring and the testing and certification of bamboo flooring products.

We are in the process of resolving its environmental certification but the facts speak for themselves:

• Bamboo plantations are lauded for their ability to sequester carbon i.e. take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. Their extensive root systems combat erosion.
• WoodWorks Bamboo Flooring will last as long as a hardwood floor but bamboo matures in 5-7 years compared to hardwood which takes 60-120 years to mature.
• The manufacturer has been carefully selected on the basis of colour and design, quality and value and sustainability and environmental friendliness (according to the above criteria).

Click here for a more detailed discussion about the pros and cons of bamboo flooring.