When calculating your green star rating, it is important to understand upfront whether or not the floor covering you're organizing to make use of is new, reused or environmentally innovative. What can typically be a tricky and confusing procedure to navigate by way of can be produced really straightforward if you use a second hand product.
Carpet is by far one of many most significant contributors to landfill of all the floor coverings and accounts for 72% with the obtaining industry. In accordance with the Carpet & Rug Institute, "70% of all carpet replaced each year is replaced for reasons other than wear"!
The most common reasons for why that 70% is discarded is because:
1. The owner doesn't like the colour (it doesn't match company branding, the colour is out-dated or not what they had in mind)
2. The owner wants to update the building and furnishings
3. The owner states the carpet is 'ugly',herpes simplex 2 mouth, or worn or discolored.
Carpet takes more than 50 years to decompose and accounts for a significant amount of the world's landfill. Some manufacturers re-purpose carpet,herpes natural treatment cure, but this only delays its environmental footprint. It really is estimated that the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacture of new carpet is 19kgs per square metre and 17.5kgs per square metre for carpet tiles. The emissions resulting from 1000m2 carpet manufactured is equivalent to 3 cars on the road.
By reusing commercial floor coverings, you not only contribute for the diversion of this material from landfill, your company can achieve a 100% green star rating in this area.
According for the Green Building Council Australia (GBCA), re-used content is defined as "...the amount of an item by area, length, volume or mass (the metric chosen must be justified) that is sourced from a product or material that has already fulfilled its originally intended use". Reusable floor covering options can include second hand commercial carpet, carpet tiles and vinyl flooring.
Here are three basic steps to ensure your company achieves a 100% green star rating for your floor coverings.
1. Ascertain what material you are preparing to make use of. Is it new, reused or environmentally innovative? Rather than obtaining new item, can you source a second hand item that is commercial quality?
2. When you choose a secondhand (reusable) floor covering in your new office or refurbishment it means you will be automatically awarded a 100% item score in the Green Star Flooring Calculator (available from GBCA's website).
3. Using a second hand floor covering also gets you credits in the Waste Management section with the Green Star rating tools (section #7). You will need the company who supplies you the carpet or a recycling company to pick up your existing carpet or carpet tiles for the purpose of reusing it. Relevant supporting documentation needs to be kept to include square meterage and weight in order to measure the environmental saving.
Achieving a green star rating is that easy and can have enormous benefits for your company, from decreasing operating costs via to increasing your competitive advantage and attracting more tenancy. When you want your business to be recognized as a leader in the environmental landscape then consider getting a green star rating for your building and make life easy by using secondhand commercial carpet or carpet tiles as your choice of floor covering.
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