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IT is a common misconception among specifiers that modern rubber flooring is a natural product.

In fact, virtually all the rubber flooring on the market today are made from synthetic SBR rubber, a petrochemical derivative. In environmental terms, synthetic rubber compares quite favourably with its main competitors - PVC, and even linoleum.

Even though Dalsouple started out manufacturing natural rubber products in the 1940s, by 1960 the company had moved over to synthetic rubber alternatives. These were cheaper, easier to process and offered more uniformity of colour.

But with sustainability now high on the design agenda, some manufacturers have decided it’s time to heighten the environmental profile of these products by going back to nature. The result is a new generation rubber floor covering.

These makers have completely re-engineered rubber flooring to maximise its environmental credentials. Replacing SBR with natural rubber, as the core ingredient, transforms the product without loss of performance.

Natural rubber is a wholly renewable raw material; and mature rubber trees are exceptionally efficient in carbon sequestration - the absorption of harmful CO2 from the atmosphere. Rubber is also easy to recycle, not just once, with many potential applications. It has inherently low toxicity, particularly compared to PVC based flooring. All these factors, combined with long service life, contribute to favourable environmental life cycle performance.

Such re-engineered products are suitable for a huge range of contract and residential installations. They are tough, anti-slip and burn-resistant, but feel soft and warm underfoot. They have excellent noise absorption properties, yet are dust free, hygienic and easy to maintain.