Environmental Policies
Environmental Regulations
Smart Plank complies with all state and Federal regulations,
including the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act was passed in 1900 to prevent the
illegal importation of animals and their by-products into the United States and
was amended in 2008 to include plants. Some of the species we offer (such as
Brazilian Cherry and Eucalyptus) are imported from outside North America, all
of which are sourced legally and in compliance with regulations of the
product’s native land.
All of Smart Plank’s suppliers produce within the regulations
of the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) Title VI. This Act determines the allowable
amount of formaldehyde emissions produced from wood products. You can read the
EPA summary here.
Construction/Manufacturing
Engineered construction allows for a higher yield of flooring from lumber. Only the top layer is made from hardwood, thus requiring less wood to be used in order to create a floor. In fact, 4 times as much square footage of engineered flooring can be produced compared to the equivalent amount of solid.
All Smart Plank flooring is manufactured in North America, coming from our numerous manufacturing partners across the US and Canada. This allows us to ship closer to the final install location and reduce the amount of carbon emissions created during shipping.
Samples, Displays, & Technology
The typical useful life of a wood flooring sample is about 2 years. These cause waste over the course of a product cycle as offerings are discontinued and replaced, with the samples being disposed in landfills. Smart Plank's display samples have a longer shelf-life because the products they represent are always available. Since our founding in 2018, all of the sample pieces that we've sent out are still in use, and will continue to have a useful life for years to come!
On the technology side, our Build-a-Floor and Visualizer tools allow us to display what a floor will look like without having to use a single piece of wood. Once that wood is installed, our sensors help the user to maintain a proper environment to improve the longevity of the flooring and prevent irreparable damage.
Hardwood Sustainability
Wood is an environmentally sustainable material. It absorbs carbon emissions from the air and releases oxygen, even after it's been cut from a tree and turned into lumber. Hardwood floors (whether they're engineered or solid) are also able to be refinished multiple times, meaning a single floor can last decades without needing to be replaced. This makes wood construction an ideal choice for those conscious about their carbon footprint.