These days it’s easy enough to keep Mother Earth in mind when remodeling or building. “Going green” doesn’t have to mean spending extra green either. There are affordable and sustainable options in tile, glass, hardwood and laminate.
Porcelain & Ceramic Tile
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are an obvious and great choice for sustainable and eco-friendly projects. Tiles are durable and can last a lifetime. They are also inert, and therefore do not emit gases like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been linked to indoor air quality issues and illness.
Some companies take it a step further, like Sonoma Tilemakers. The California-based company names sustainability as one of its driving principles. Its Dakota series is actually made from recycled roofing tiles. The unusable leftovers from its handmade Stellar series are ground down for road pavement. Plus, its Vihara series comes from recycled glass.
Setting Materials
While tile itself can be eco-friendly, other elements of tile installation can pose some hazards. Laticrete is an industry leader recognized for its manufacturing of green flooring and façade materials. Laticrete has conducted environmental impact studies on its cement grout, cement mortar and cement self-leveling products. You can find out more on Laticrete’s website.
Hardwood & Vinyl
When looking to buy hardwood or LVT, doing your homework helps. There are a lot of options out there, and some companies are going the extra mile to make sure their products are safe and sustainable. Case in point – Twelve Oaks and Appalachian Flooring.
All of Twelve Oaks hardwood floors are manufactured to meet the most stringent environmental and health safety standards, and most of its engineered hardwood flooring products are FloorScore and CARB-II certified. Plus, all of Twelve Oaks’ laminate flooring are FloorScore, CARB-II and E1 certified, deemed to have met the indoor air quality emissions criteria of LEED, CHPS, and Green Guide for Health Care.
Appalachian Flooring gears its manufacturing process towards reducing its carbon footprint. Its products have have negligible amounts of formaldehyde, plus the finish and adhesives used in the manufacturing of its solid and engineered flooring are considered VOC free. 

Samples of any of the above products are available at Creative Tile Imports.