Sustainability
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OUR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
Armstrong has taken the lead in the industry by introducing a host of innovative, sustainable products for commercial and
residential use.
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Featured Sustainable Products (click on product name to get to story below)
 Origins™
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Our new Origins™ residential cabinetry is constructed with plywood materials made with PureBond --an innovative, soy-based, formaldehyde-free
adhesive – and, like all of our cabinets, made with wood harvested from responsibly managed forests. Origins combines these
two “green” qualities with the durability and strength of our top-tier Genuine Allwood™ cabinet construction. The results
are cabinets that are as environmentally friendly as they are tough. The Origins Series is available in all of our solid wood
center panel door styles, delivering a wide range of aesthetic options for environmentally-conscious homeowners, specifiers
and builders.
All ACP cabinets are certified by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association Environmental Stewardship Program (KCMA ESP) for commitment to the responsible use of natural resources through sound environmental
management and sustainable practices.
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DC Flexzone™
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Armstrong is a founding governing member of EMerge Alliance. EMerge was created in 2008 to promote the adoption of the EMerge standard, a more efficient way to distribute safe, low-voltage
direct current (DC) power in interior building systems. Our new DC FlexZone™ commercial ceiling grid system doubles as a DC distribution system to lighting fixtures, sensors and other electrical devices
significantly improving the flexibility and reuse of interior spaces through “plug and play” modularity. Want to reconfigure
a space? There’s no need to rewire with DC FlexZone™.
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Tierra™ Acoustical Ceiling
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Tierra™ is the ceiling industry’s most rapidly renewable acoustical ceiling. Its substrate is made with jute, a natural fiber that
grows from seed to harvest in ninety days. Tierra installed with Armstrong high recycled content grid is the most sustainable
ceiling system available today.
- Recyclable through Armstrong’s Ceiling Recycling Program
- Silver Cradle to Cradle (SM) Product certified (evaluation based on human and environmental impact throughout its life cycle
- No added formaldehyde
- High Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC)
- Class A fire rating
- High light reflectance value helps reduce energy use when used with indirect lighting systems
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Celebrating 100 – Linoleum Gets Even Better with Age
 Linoleum is the original green floor, made of the same natural materials today as it was 100 years ago: linseed oil, powdered
wood and cork, ground limestone, resins and pigments, mixed and affixed to a jute fiber backing. In recent years, architects
and designers have buoyed linoleum back into the spotlight, after an almost 25-year hiatus, because of its style and sustainability.
In addition to its renewable and recycled content, linoleum’s low volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions contribute to
better indoor air quality. Armstrong’s new, high performance Linoleum with NATURCote™ does away with the need to wax, and our S-761 non-heat weld seaming system makes installation far easier.
Today’s linoleum is a modern-day trifecta: it’s sustainable, practical and versatile.
Armstrong linoleum can be used for both commercial and residential applications.
[Read more]
History
Linoleum’s story began with Frederick Walton, a rubber manufacturer, who patented the floor covering in England in 1863. He
got the idea from the leathery skin that formed on paint from oxidized linseed oil, which is derived from the flax plant.
Walton called his new resilient flooring “linoleum,” from the Latin words linum (flax) and oleum (oil). Linoleum was largely a European product until 1909, when Armstrong led the U.S. into the linoleum age. It remained the flooring
of choice for more than 50 years. In that time, the company manufactured about 957 million square yards of linoleum – enough
to pave a six-foot wide path to the moon and circle it four times! Armstrong made linoleum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania until 1974 when linoleum lost ground to a similar looking, but new and
entirely different synthetic floor product – vinyl. Vinyl’s easier maintenance and installation was linoleum’s downfall. ,
One of the most frustrating and unappealing aspects of linoleum was, because of the natural ingredients, the regular waxing
needed to protect the surface. The other was the specialized training, skills and tools needed to held weld the product for
proper installation. Despite these distinct differences, many people confused the two products and often called their new vinyl floors linoleum.
They still do! Re-Introduction
For about 30 years, it was practically impossible to find genuine linoleum in retail flooring stores, and specifiers were
unfamiliar with the product. But, as interest in sustainable, natural products grew in the 1990’s, linoleum got a second wind
in Europe and the US. Armstrong welcomed linoleum back into the company’s flooring family and decided to invest in resolving
its drawbacks. Our new, high performance linoleum is made at Armstrong’s ISO 14001-certified plant in Germany and imported
into the US. In fact, all linoleum is made in Europe. Innovations including Armstrong’s NATURCote coating (make link), which does away with the need to wax, and S-761 non-heat weld seaming system (make link), virtually eliminate
objections to linoleum. Today’s linoleum is a modern-day trifecta: it’s sustainable, practical and versatile. With NATURCote, cleaning take less time and uses fewer chemicals. NATURCote protects the floor’s surface from damage and helps
linoleum maintain color clarity and intensity. It also provides a smooth and tight surface on the floor that resists dirt
build-up because the finish has fewer microscopic places for dust or dirt to hide (than unprotected linoleum). Armstrong linoleum floors are FloorScore certified for low VOCs. Products with the FloorScore seal have passed a third party
certification process and are recognized as contributing to good indoor air quality. Armstrong linoleum also contributes to
earning LEED credits on building products under LEED categories EQ4.3, MR4.0 and MR6.0.
Migrations® BioBased Tile®
 Armstrong has taken the lead in the building products industry by introducing Migrations® BioBased Tile® flooring for commercial applications. Migrations BBT features BioStride™, a breakthrough patent-pending polymer that was
developed from rapidly renewable materials grown in the U.S.
Developed at Armstrong’s Technology and Innovation Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Migrations BBT offers a host of advantages,
including:
- Resilience: In tests comparing it to standard composition tile, Migrations BBT
demonstrates five times more impact resistance and two-and-a-half times
more crack resistance.
- Beauty: With a wide range of colors and styles, Migrations BBT enhances
any room.
- No PVC or plasticizers: Migrations BBT reduces the reliance on petroleum
and fossil fuels.
- LEED credits: The use of Migrations BBT contributes to LEED credits EQ4.3,
MR4.0, MR6.0 and, depending on location, MR5.0.
Migrations BBT is a leading example of the forward-thinking innovations you expect
from Armstrong.
FSC-Certified WoodWorks Commercial Ceilings
 Armstrong’s portfolio of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified WoodWorks ceilings is the first in the industry to combine the sustainable attributes of no-added urea formaldehyde and high recycled
content (92%) with California Air Resources Board (CARB) Phase l compliance and a Class A fire rating for the entire composite
ceiling panel, not just the substrate.
Designed to help warm a space, WoodWorks ceilings are well-suited for retail, hospitality, healthcare, higher education and
office environments as well as
lobbies, entryways and conference rooms. WoodWorks ceilings are available in
maple, light cherry, dark cherry and rapidly renewable bamboo. They can be
ordered perforated, for acoustical control,and un-perforated. The panels can be
installed in standard suspension systems and are tested and approved for all
seismic areas.
Ekos® Woodworks™ Commercial Walls
 Ekos® Woodworks™ walls is the industry’s first wood wall system that has no added formaldehyde and no detectable formaldehyde emissions. Ekos
is made of 78% recycled content -- a combination of real wood veneers and an acoustical, mineral fiber substrate that contains
no wood fibers. Even the finished product can be recycled.
Ekos offers the beauty of wood, excellent acoustics and sound absorption – important attributes for commercial settings –
without a steep price tag.
An integrated system with solid wood and aluminum accessories, Ekos is
easier-to-install than custom millwork, yet with a high-end, custom look ideal for
conference rooms, board rooms, executive offices and lobbies. It’s available in
four finishes – maple, mahogany, light cherry and dark cherry.
High Recycled Content (HRC) Commercial Ceilings and
Suspension Systems
 Armstrong now has the broadest portfolio of high recycled content (HRC) ceilings and suspension systems in the industry. Two
of our most popular ceilings – Ultima® and Cirrus® - contain 80% to 83% recycled content . They can also be reclaimed as part of Armstrong’s Ceiling Recycling Program, a closed
loop process that has diverted more than 70 million square feet of discarded ceiling tiles from landfills since the program
began in 1999.
Armstrong HRC suspension systems contain 84% recycled content and Armstrong standard suspension systems have 30% recycled
content and the highest
percentage of post-consumer content in the industry.
Definitions™ Residential Ceilings
 Armstrong’s Definitions™ residential ceiling panels are made of recycled eco-resin, and they’re 100 percent recyclable too. Eco-resin is 40 percent post-industrial reclaimed
material that is non-toxic and 40 times stronger than glass.
Definitions ceiling panels decoratively define spaces without using walls. Available in 13 different finishes, the 2' x 6'
panels create “spaces within spaces.” They’re ideally suited for lofts and apartments, but they spice up traditional living
spaces too. Panels are easy to install and can be individually suspended from the ceiling or anchored to the floor with Armstrong’s
simple cabling kit.
WoodHaven™ Residential Ceiling Planks
 WoodHaven™ laminate ceiling planks use 98 percent recycled material as a fiber source. They create the warm, rich look of real wood at a more affordable price.
WoodHaven baseboard tongue-and-groove planks are geared for those looking for the distinct look of wood with carefree maintenance
and long-lasting durability. WoodHaven is available in 17 unique finishes, and the Painted White and Beadboard finishes are
also recommended for wainscoting and backsplash applications.
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