Press Release

Armstrong Linoleum Accepted into USDA BioPreferred® Program

LANCASTER, PA–Armstrong linoleum sheet flooring products, including Marmorette, Linorette, Colorette, Granette and UniWalton, have been awarded the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) certified biobased product label through the USDA BioPreferred® program, indicating a biobased content of 100%.

Biobased Products
USDA defines biobased products as goods composed in whole or in significant part of agricultural, forestry or marine materials.

Armstrong’s linoleum contains 100% biobased content by weight per ASTM test method D6866. USDA certifies and awards labels to qualifying products to increase consumer recognition of biobased products and to help assure consumers that a product or package contains a verified amount of renewable biological ingredients.

Early Armstrong Linoleum
Linoleum is the original sustainable floor from the brand that first put linoleum in American homes and businesses. More than a century ago, the company ceased discarding post-industrial cork waste and began recycling it – first into corkboard insulation, and soon afterwards into the product on which its modern flooring business was built: linoleum.

Linoleum’s Natural Content
Today’s linoleum is still made with natural ingredients, like linseed oil, (which comes from the flax plant) wood powder, resins and ground limestone. The rich colors come from mineral pigments, and the floor has an all-natural jute fabric backing. The added benefit of NATURCote™, an exclusive UV-cured coating, protects the floor from scratches and scuffs and reduces the time, chemicals and labor needed for routine maintenance.

USDA Biobased Product Label
“Manufacturers and vendors who have earned the rights to use the USDA Certified Biobased Product^® label on a product have submitted to USDA test evidence of the biobased content of the product or package,” said Kate Lewis, deputy manager, USDA BioPreferred Program. “USDA has established minimum biobased content standards for more than 70 product categories. A product must meet or exceed the minimum biobased content percentage in its given category in order to use the Certified Biobased Product label.”

Label Helps Consumers Choose Environmentally Friendly Products
“A labeling system based on solid, well-researched and monitored standards makes for very effective shorthand for consumers concerned about the social and environmental impacts of their purchases,” said Amy Costello, environmental sustainability manager, Armstrong. “By choosing biobased products labeled ‘USDA Certified Biobased Products’, the consumer can be assured that the USDA and the federal government stand behind the accuracy of the claim that the product contains biological ingredients in the amounts stated on the label.”

Benefits of Biobased Products
According to the USDA, the increased purchase of biobased products will reduce petroleum consumption, increase the use of renewable resources, better manage the carbon cycle and may contribute to reducing adverse environmental and health impacts.

About USDA BioPreferred
The USDA BioPreferred program was created by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill), and expanded by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill). The purpose is to increase federal government, commercial sector and consumer purchase and use of biobased products. The United States Department of Agriculture manages the program. Products that meet the USDA BioPreferred program requirements carry a distinctive label for easier identification by the consumer. To learn more about the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label, visit www.biopreferred.gov, or follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BioPreferred.

About Armstrong World Industries Armstrong World Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of floors, ceilings and cabinets with a focus on innovation, design and environmental sustainability. In 2010, Armstrong’s consolidated net sales totaled approximately $2.8 billion. Based in Lancaster, PA, Armstrong operates 33 plants in eight countries and has approximately 9,500 employees worldwide. www.armstrong.com

News contact: Michele Zelman mjzelman@cherryleaf.net mjzelman@armstrong.com phone: 718-859-6766