The Shift to More Urban Societies is a Global Trend With Significant Consequences for Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

RESIDENTIAL

Polished concrete floor decorates newly built performing arts school. Polished concrete color dyes gave the school’s designer the ability to add graphics into the finished concrete floor.

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COMMERCIAL

Polished concrete is a practical material that develops a nice patina over time while its integral, through body soft color conceals gouges and scrapes that occur in such high-traffic environments.

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INSTITUTIONAL

Polished concrete floor adds more shine to industrial facilities. The polishing process is operationally friendly because the installation can be done during normal manufacturing operations.

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Eneref Flooring Initiative

Here’s how people responded to land management solutions.

Biological Diversity

Our natural environment provides the basic conditions (oxygen, water, food, shelter, materials, etc.) without which we could not survive, and therefore biological resources are vital for the world’s economic, social and cultural development.

In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries and adaptive responses to new challenges such as climate change.

Biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to present and future generations. At the same time, due to human activities, species and ecosystems are more threatened today than ever before in recorded history.

The world has two years to secure a deal for nature to halt a ‘silent killer’ as dangerous as climate change, says biodiversity chief. The world must thrash out a new deal for nature in the next two years or humanity could be the first species to document our own extinction, warns the United Nation’s biodiversity chief. [source]

 

Land Managment

Land-use regulations specify the use, size, mass and other aspects of development on a particular parcel of land. They are also known as development controls or zoning regulations. In countries like the United States and India, land-use regulations usually promote low-density, single-use developments with large amounts of parking that increase car dependence and emissions.

Land is not a mere commodity, but an essential element for the realization of many human rights. Land is a cross-cutting issue that impacts directly on the enjoyment of a number of human rights. For many people, land is a source of livelihood, and is central to economic rights. Land is also often linked to peoples’ identities, and so is tied to social and cultural rights. [source]

  1. Are carpet floors biodegradable?

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that carpet represents 2% of the material volume in U. S. landfills. Intervention is paramount as most carpeting is not biodegradable.

    Every year, 1.8 million tons of carpeting reaches local landfills. Most of those carpets and rugs will last up to 20, 000 years. Purchasing recycled flooring can reduce the amount of waste found in our landfills

  2. How much water is being waste by carpet flooring?

    Water is a fundamental and non-renewable resource. Given how critical water is to our daily lives and operations, many would be shocked by the amount of water cleaning industries consume every day. Conventional carpet extractors use as much as 1.5 gallons of water per minute; therefore, cleaning for one hour requires up to 90 gallons of water. A significant amount of water is used during restorative floor care in particular, which typically involves stripping and refinishing flooring.  Not only does carpeting and flooring maintenance consume huge amounts of water, but it also produces waste that can be considered hazardous.


  3. Can polished concrete floors provide thermal mass insulation?

    Thermal mass is a property that enables building materials to absorb, store, and later release significant amounts of heat. Buildings constructed of concrete and masonry have a unique energy-saving advantage because of their inherent thermal mass. These materials absorb energy slowly and hold it for much longer periods of time than do materials with less thermal mass, regulating indoor temperature fluctuations.

  4. Can polished concrete floor reduce emissions and energy use?

    According to Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler, small steps towards designing more sustainable buildings can make a big dent in the City’s carbon footprint – reducing emissions as well as energy bills. Through expanded benchmarking Mayor de Blasio’s vision of reducing 80 percent of our carbon emissions by 2050 might be realized.



Polished Concrete Floor at American Eagle Outfitters

“As an aesthetic for American Eagle Outfitters we really like polished concrete flooring.” — Michael Smith, Director of Store Design.

FAQ: What is the most sustainable flooring system available?

Eneref Institute examines how a polished concrete floor builds sales for commercial facilities. To learn the market obstacles to sustainable flooring, download Eneref Institute’s report.

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