FSC Certification:
If you want to stick to traditional hardwoods for you flooring needs, just take some precautions to make sure that the trees are being harvested in a sustainable manner. Many companies are introducing healthy environmental measures of their own accord and many governments are also instituting rules for the lumber industry. There are also third party organizations that overlook the process to assure that in practice harvesting is done as well as in theory. The Forest Stewardship Council, http://www.fsc.org/en/, is one such organization that provides the FSC seal to products from properly managed forests, assuring the consumer that their product is sustainably produced. Unfortunately, FSC certification, even among major flooring companies, is not prominent. You can seek out floors that will be ecologically healthy by checking the brand’s environmental pledge and policy and choosing floors made from non exotic species. Exotic wood flooring often comes from places like South America, Brazil in particular, and Southeast Asia, from Thailand and Myanmar, for example. Their legislature is often not as developed or enforced, making woods that come from there more likely to be harvested unsustainably and to contribute to destructive deforestation and poor labor practices.

Stone, Glass and Ceramic Tile:
Stone, Glass and Ceramic tile are some of the most durable materials used when building or remodeling a home. They are easy to clean, not absorptive and very, very long lasting. Technological advances in ceramic and porcelain tile have made the production process less noxious and more companies are starting to recycle in every step of the process. Stone is durable and again, if you avoid exotic granites, you are more likely to get a product that is manufactured in a sustainable manner where the working conditions are appropriate and the quarry is remediated after use according to mining legislature.