Green flooring is just one element of what has become an ever greener building industry. As consumer demand for green
floors and buildings escalates, so too does the number of organizations relating to different aspects of this evolution. Many
of these organizations act almost like governing bodies while several also offer building and product certifications.
Many of the green organizations below offer green certifications and educational opportunities about green building and processes.
Green Organizations That Impact the Flooring Industry:
CRI has helped to move carpet – long considered an environmentally unfriendly flooring option – in a greener
direction. CRI's
signature programs are the Green Label and Green Label Plus tests for improving indoor air quality; the Seal of Approval for
effective, green carpet–cleaning products; and the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) a recycling and reuse program
for post–consumer carpet.
The FSC has the bold goal of improve the quality of dialogue relating to sustainable forestry around the world.
Established in the wake of – and in response to the failings of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio – the FSC claims
considerable success in these areas. Over the years it has developed criteria, standards and principles that take in concerns
that are social, economic and environmental in nature. The international head office for FSC is in Bonn, Germany. Its United States'
head office is located in Washington D.C.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non–profit organization dedicated to sustainable building. The USGBC is perhaps
best known for The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED offers a rating system for homes,
neighborhoods, commercial structures; project certification; professional accreditation; and education and other resources.
SBIC is a non–profit trade association with a primary goal of improving the long–term performance of
buildings. It does this through advocacy, outreach and education programs. SBIC has a variety of programs of an
informational and educational nature, as well as its annual Beyond Green™ Awards Program.
Formed in 1990, TFF is an international organization that uses education and training to promote the conservation and
management of tropical forests. TFF has helped to improve logging practices by using research to elevate the commercial value
of logged forests. TFF's leadership is comprised of representatives from the scientific and
conservation communities, academia and industry.
Backed by various members of government, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), non–government organizations and
the carpet industry, Carpet America
Recovery Effort (CARE) strives to promote the reuse of carpets on a national level. Since CARE was formed in 2002, they
have been able to successfully divert up to 50 million pounds of carpet waste from the landfill. CARE is non–profit
organization that's operated by voluntary members of the carpet industry. Like its members, funding for CARE is also
voluntary and is contributed by Green, Corporate and Sustainabilty Leadership Sponsors.
