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Bio-Flooring FAQs

What is Bio-Flooring?

Bio-Flooring is a bio-based alternative to PVC flooring. This innovative category of flooring replaces petroleum or fossil fuel based content with bio-based material.

What are the plant ingredients found in BBT Bio-Flooring?

While BBT Bio-Flooring is made from corn, a rapidly renewable material, we continue to research new materials that have reduced environmental impact while improving the performance of our commercial flooring products. As technology for bio-based products develops, we expect an increased selection of sustainable flooring materials that meet cost, performance and environmental criteria.

What is Armstrong Flooring's definition of rapidly renewable?

Armstrong Flooring uses the USGBC LEED® definition – “Agricultural products, both fiber and animal, that take 10 years or less to grow or raise and can be harvested in a sustainable fashion” Source: USGBC LEED-BD&C 2009 reference guide.

Why isn’t all Armstrong flooring biobased?

Armstrong Flooring offers a range of flooring options for the environmentally-conscious purchaser. We are researching other applications for bio-based materials beyond composition tile. As the market for bio-based flooring materials develops and our understanding grows, we will continue to look for more solutions and product offerings.

Will you continue to offer Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT)?

Yes, VCT continues to be a durable and cost-effective solution for many commercial applications. VCT is FloorScore® certified as compliant with California Section 01350 for low VOC emissions. Armstrong VCT contributes to and/or complies with the LEED IEQ Low Emitting Material credit, MR Recycled Content Credit and Regional Materials credit, depending on location. Learn more

Does Bio-Flooring - Migrations BBT and Striations BBT - contain PVC or plasticizers?

No, however, that was not the objective of our research. Armstrong Flooring has a strategy to reduce reliance on petroleum and fossil fuels; pursuing this strategy led us to explore rapidly renewable resources to create Armstrong Flooring products. Our Bio-Flooring products are the result of years of research with rapidly renewable, bio-based resources. A secondary result of the research was that our bio-flooring does not contain PVC or plasticizers.

We continue to look for flooring materials that provide excellent performance, low environmental impact and are cost effective. As the market for bio-based materials matures, we expect an increased selection of materials that meet cost, performance and environmental criteria.

Do you have a more technical specification sheet on the environmental benefits of BBT Bio-Flooring?

Yes, you can find more technical details at bio-flooring.com, review the Armstrong Flooring Product Declaration or the life cycle assessment (LCA) results in the bio-flooring Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

Why did you choose to first apply Bio-Flooring technology in a composition tile product?

Armstrong Flooring chose to introduce this sustainable technology in a composition tile because over 1 billion square feet of this product is installed every year. Applying bio-flooring technology to composition tile allowed us to expand the availability and affordability of biobased technology to the largest product category in the hard surface flooring industry.

What key industry environmental standards does Armstrong Flooring’s Bio-Flooring comply with?

In addition to meeting the product requirements of ASTM F2982, Migrations BBT and Striations BBT Bio-Flooring contains 2% rapidly renewable resources, 40% recycled content and are recyclable through the Armstrong On&On™ Recycling Program Bio-Flooring is third-party certified by FloorScore® for compliance with California Department of Public Health Standard for VOC emissions v1.2 2017 and Migrations BBT and Striations BBT EPD is third-party certified to ISO 14025 and ISO 14044.

Does Diamond 10 Technology coating impact the environmental benefits of BBT?

Yes, in a positive way, Diamond 10 Technology coating reduces the required maintenance resulting in less polish, cleaning chemicals and water.

Is BBT Bio-Flooring recyclable?

Yes, Armstrong Flooring offers Extended Producer Responsibility in the form of a product take back program. BBT is recyclable through our Armstrong Flooring On&On™ Recycling Program.

Does BBT Bio-Flooring contain any Living Building Challenge “Red List” chemicals?

No, BBT Bio-Flooring does not contain any “red list” chemicals. BBT has been installed in several Living Building Challenge (LBC) certified buildings including the Phipps Conservancy, an LBC certified building in Pittsburgh, PA.