PRESS ROOM

Armstrong Presents 'Fresh Greens' at Greenbuild 2010

LANCASTER, PA - At Armstrong Commercial Flooring, sustainability has expanded beyond the corporate stewardship initiatives to reduce, reuse and recycle resources wherever possible. We have successfully developed products and programs to support the sustainability initiatives of our customers. We will present some of these initiatives at our 2010 Greenbuild booth themed “Fresh Greens.”

Designers and architects report that sustainability will be a more, not less, significant decision-making factor. They expect to see greater regulation and wider mandates in this area. They report seeing movement toward standards that go beyond LEED® certification and product attributes, such as percent of recycled content, to establish guidelines they judge to be truly green. Among these top attributes are product durability, low volatile organic compounds, low maintenance and the product’s full lifecycle impact. These insights are compelling, and are creating behavior changes among manufacturers.

As an example, consider Armstrong’s MIGRATIONS® BioBased Tile® (BBT®). It was developed to provide the look and durability of VCT, yet its essential polymer ingredient, BioStride®, is made with a domestically grown, rapidly renewable plant source. BBT reduces reliance on petroleum and fossil fuels while expanding the affordability of green flooring products.

In addition to the enhanced range of green benefits, MIGRATIONS provides equal or better performance over standard composition tile. It has twice the indent resistance and more than five times greater impact resistance of standard composition tile – all at an affordable cost. BBT has received an enthusiastic reception from designers of schools, healthcare facilities, mass retail and other commercial spaces, who require a long-lasting, attractive, economical and easy-to-maintain flooring solution.

Since the definition of green differs from expert to expert, and among end users, Armstrong offers a range of products – from the cutting-edge MIGRATIONS to Linoleum to VCT, all of which have environmental advantages at varying price points, to fit the objectives of any project. Some are low maintenance, most have extremely long life cycles; some contain rapidly renewable ingredients and all Armstrong resilient products are independently certified for low VOC emissions. We have reduced the maintenance of our resilient products by coating our linoleum, LVT and sheet goods, except for slip retardant sheet flooring, with a UV-cured urethane layer. On our heterogeneous sheet line, the UV-cured coating eliminates the need for polishes and spray buffing.
Armstrong has a long history of environmental stewardship. As the leading manufacturer of flooring in North America, we are committed to sustaining our natural resources and ensuring that Armstrong is an eco-minded contributor to the needs of future generations.

To learn more about Armstrong’s commitment to sustainability, visit us online at http://www.armstrong.com/commflooringna/environmental-programs.html.

Armstrong World Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of floors, ceilings and cabinets. In 2009, Armstrong's consolidated net sales totaled approximately $2.8 billion. Based in Lancaster, Pa., Armstrong operates 35 plants in eight countries and has approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.armstrong.com.