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Forbo Flooring harvests Australian Ecological Award
With a host of international sustainability awards already under its belt, Forbo Flooring's Marmoleum, Artoleum and
Furniture Linoleum have now attracted the Australian Good Environmental Choice Mark.
This 'tick of approval' by the independent, non-profit group Australian Environmental Labelling Association (the Australian member of the
Global Ecolabelling Network) recognises that these unique Forbo linoleum products meet international and local environmental performance
standards from a product lifecycle perspective.
Every aspect, from harvesting raw materials through to the return to nature of spent product, meets stringent environment-conscious
specifications. Along the way, bacteriostatic properties derived from the natural ingredients provide a hygienic surface finish with
high performance and low maintenance, whilst a huge colour and texture variety ensures design flexibility.
To manufacture all three, natural raw materials are predominantly harvested from sustainable crops including linseed oil from the flax
plant, rosin extracted from pine trees, wood flour from regenerated softwood forests, limestone which is very finely ground, ecologically
responsible pigments containing no heavy metals and natural jute.
And after a long life span, from 25 to as many as 40 years, Marmoleum, Artoleum and Furniture Linoleum can be safely returned to nature
via landfill to decompose completely and safely.
Forbo has even developed solvent-free adhesives to use during each product's installation to reduce the environmental impact even further.
"Forbo practices environmental responsibility and spends on average 12% of its total investment on measures designed to further improve
environmental performance," says Angus Fotheringhame, Managing Director, Forbo Flooring - Australia.
"So it is very pleasing to have been recognised now in Australia for our unique linoleum products."
"Marmoleum, Artoleum and Furniture Linoleum will now carry the Good Environmental Choice Mark, which we hope will encourage specifiers and
consumers to consider the 'green' flooring option," he said, "in addition to making our products instantly recognisable as the preferred
environmental option".
Petar Johnson, President of the AELA, confirmed that Marmoleum and Artoleum are the first natural material flooring products to be certified
by their programme and identified them as the preferred environmental flooring choice.
"The environmental attributes of Marmoleum and Artoleum are outstanding in comparison to like products such as PVC vinyl flooring where
chlorine use, the nature of the raw materials and additives, especially phthalate plasticisers and heavy material stabilisers continue to
be environmental concerns. We are very pleased to have awarded the Good Environmental Choice Label to Forbo with products that clearly
outperform commonly specified flooring in Australia. It is important for specifiers that environmental information on the market is
available, in order to achieve the current market initiatives for more sustainable buildings and interiors." said Petar Johnson.
To receive a copy of the Sustainable Development: Taking Care of the Environment brochure, or for further information contact Forbo
Flooring on 1800 22 44 71 or visit the company's website – www.forbo-flooring.com.au
Visit Forbo's Designex stand, number N19, to see Forbo's eco-flooring and more.
Details about Australian Environmental Labelling Association can be obtained on www.aela.org.au.
Forbo Marmoleum, Artoleum, Furniture Linoleum & Other Awards
Marmoleum, Artoleum and Furniture Linoleum have attracted numerous independent environmental quality marks and awards.
These include:
- two red dot awards for innovation in design and sustainability for Artoleum and Furniture Linoleum;
- The Netherlands Envionmental Quality Mark (for low envionmental impact);
- Scandinavian Nordic Swan Label (maintaining this label requires continued commitment to ever improving performance);
- the German TUV Environmental Label (strict compliance by raw materials, production and finished product);
- the Austrian environmental label UZ42 (for envionmentally friendly option in resilient flooring);
- and in the USA, Furniture Linoleum and Bulletin Board products were declared winner of the much-coveted AWFS Sequoia Award (for
demonstrable environmental innovation and leadership in conservation techniques, applications and processes).
- Plus the ranges have attracted the American Building Magazine's Innovation Award for Environmental Sensitivity at the Neocon World Trade
Show in 1998, 1999 and 2001.
For further information contact:
Forbo Flooring
phone: 1800 22 44 71 (toll free)
fax: 02 9725 3405
web: www.forbo-flooring.com.au
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