Hard surface flooring

Hard surface flooring is easy to maintain. It only needs regular sweeping and mopping, and it doesn’t require waxing or buffing. Vinyl flooring, a common type of hard surface flooring, is made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It is durable and low-cost, but during the manufacturing process, it creates toxins that can stay in the environment and affect human health. The adhesives used in installation can also be harmful, sometimes containing chemicals with high VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Safer options include linoleum, rubber, cork and bio-based polyurethane, which are made from renewable, natural materials. To reduce health and environmental impacts, many companies now provide flooring with natural ingredients, recycled content, or low- or no-VOC adhesives. Some also offer refurbishing and recovery programs to extend flooring life and keep it out of landfills. For guidance, you can use the Healthy Flooring criteria, established by Health Care Without Harm.

Policy and Goals:

King County's Sustainable Purchasing Executive Policy (CON 7-22-1-EP)

• Reducing waste generation by choosing products that are durable, reusable, repairable, refillable, recyclable, compostable, salvageable, deconstructable, or made with recycled content or remanufactured parts
• Minimizing the purchase of products containing toxic chemicals, especially perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals (PBTs), with a goal of phasing out all usage of products containing such chemicals
• Minimizing pollutants to air and water, including indoor air emissions
• Promoting transparency, including disclosure of environmental, health, economic, and social risks through the use of environmental certifications and ecolabels
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and vendor sustainability ratings