Rubber Flooring – How Sustainable It Is?
When it comes to choosing a sustainable floor covering, rubber flooring turns out to be the best decision ever! Yes, you read that right! Rubber floors are eco-friendly and recyclable having very little impact on the environment. Would you like to know why this flooring is the go-to option across several industries such as education, sports, fitness, healthcare, and utilities? Done worry’ we’ve got you covered.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the different types of rubber flooring and their impact on the environment. So, continue reading.
The Main Types Of Rubber Flooring
Rubber flooring can be categorized into two main types:
- Natural rubber flooring
- Synthetic/recycled rubber flooring
Natural Rubber Flooring
From car tires and rubber bands to surgeon gloves and swimming caps, natural rubber can be used to make several accessories. It is derived from latex – which comes from Hevea Plant. Natural rubber flooring is extremely versatile and elastic which is why it is used in several applications – both residential and commercial. However, natural rubber floors are less durable and a bit costlier than recycled/synthetic rubber flooring. This is the reason many industries opt for the latter option.
Synthetic/Recycled Rubber Flooring
A synthetic/recycled rubber flooring, on the other hand, is highly durable and it can withstand adverse weather conditions, heavy loads, and constant use. These floors are a mix of EPDM and SBR rubber granulates granulated from polymer resin and truck tires. This will produce rubber mats, rubber tiles, and rubber rolls suited for a variety of applications. The most popular uses of synthetic. Recycled rubber is playground surfaces, fitness tiles, horse mats, and safety flooring.
The most common types of synthetic/recycled rubber are Nitrile, EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer), (Styrene Butadiene Rubber), silicone, and Neoprene. Playground rubber tiles, fitness mats, and gym flooring rolls are usually a mixture of EPDM and SBR as both of these types are incredibly durable and resilient.
How Sustainable Is Rubber Flooring?
Well, natural and synthetic/recycled rubber floors are environmentally friendly. Natural rubber is biodegradable and will decompose with time. Both types of rubber can be used to produce other products thereby reducing landfill and their overall carbon footprint. Truck tires are one of the significant examples of this.
Final Thoughts
Rubber flooring is trendy these days, and for many good reasons. It is popular in healthcare facilities, gyms, schools, ice rink arenas, and several commercial settings. It has also become increasingly popular in a lot of residential applications for kids’ playrooms, home gyms, garages, and laundry rooms. Moreover, the product is highly renewable. It is cut up into small pieces to be used for playground surfaces. Recycled rubber, because of its robust durability, is becoming increasingly popular in the playground and sports facilities.
And wait, there’s more! Rubber flooring is very easy to install. Whether rubber mats or tiles, this can be easily installed over an even and flat subfloor. Interlocking rubber tiles are portable and can easily be stored.
So, these are some of the reasons that make rubber flooring an excellent solution!
