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A global leader in the building materials industry, Armstrong is committed to environmental sustainability.
Armstrong has a history of environmental stewardship. Our flooring business began by using cork waste to manufacture linoleum flooring. More recently we introduced the Armstrong Ceiling Recycling Program that has recycled over 45 million pounds of material that otherwise would have gone into landfills. Now we are broadening our environmental stewardship efforts in four areas – energy, greenhouse gases, water and forest management. These are the areas in which our company has a significant impact. We are the largest wood flooring company in the world. Our ceiling operations are water-intensive and use a significant amount of energy. We are measuring our impact on the environment in the four focus areas. 2007 will become our baseline year for measuring progress towards meeting our improvement goals.
Wicanders flooring is considered unique for its properties of thermal insulation, acoustic dampening, health benefits, and resiliency. Cork oak is free from allergens and hidden germs and is naturally anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and hypoallergenic. For these reasons, the cork oak forests of Portugal, called the Montados, are considered to be extremely valuable and are a protected national resource. The harvesting of cork oak is unique in that the tree itself is never harmed in the process of stripping its bark, and biodiversity is aided by this necessary task. The Montados are home to wildlife such as nesting black storks, owls, Iberian lynxes, Imperial eagles, and wild boars. The forests are naturally hardy and survive without any use of synthetic or chemical herbicides, fertilizers or irrigation.
