While the demand for green building continues to expand in both the commercial and residential construction sectors, there is little availability of earth-friendly surface protection products. For example, a green building may incorporate sustainable materials into all installed finishes, but be protected by a foreign-made cling film made from petroleum-dependent plastics. A newly installed bamboo floor can be covered with a common wood floor protection made entirely of artificial materials.

Surface protection and dust containment are two vital methods of protecting against costly construction damage on the job site and controlling indoor air quality. The development of new protection products that use recycled materials and products manufactured for reuse is gaining momentum. Construction customers are asking suppliers about the environmental impact of the products they choose to buy. Fortunately, there are now vendors focused on helping customers choose surface protection products manufactured with the least environmental impact. These products are generally made from; recycled paper, cotton waste and plastics.

Surface protection made from recycled compressed paper or recycled corrugated cardboard has several common applications, including protecting floors, doors, and counters. Ram Board® is the best-known brand of rolled fibreboard and is commonly used to protect floors and countertops. It is made with 100% recycled paper of which 90% is post-consumer material. Although marketed as reusable, most users report that the Ram Board® does not hold well enough for reuse. DoorGuard (TM), the first and best-known door protector on the market, is made from 99% recycled content cardboard. The DoorGuard (TM) is commonly reused multiple times per construction project and is attached with natural rubber. It is often moved from the lower floors of a building under construction to the upper floors as construction progresses. DoorGuard (TM) and Ram Board® can be recycled into new products.

Recycled cotton textiles are used in various types of reusable, rolled floor protection that provide a soft layer of adsorbent protection that will not scratch floors. These products consist of two types; a breathable rolled product designed to let glue vapors escape from newly installed floors and a plastic-lined product that makes the protection waterproof. Both the breathable, unlined cotton protection and the plastic-lined leak-proof product can be reused many times. Unfortunately, however, plastic liner protection cannot be recycled without removing the liner first. These products are currently manufactured and imported from Europe, however similar products will soon be available from an American manufacturer.

The most common types of temporary surface protection and the least environmentally friendly are temporary cling films. These films are commonly manufactured in Asia from 100% virgin plastic and then imported into the U.S. Although these films have a low cost per square foot, wear times ranging from 30 to 180 days and wear times have been recommended. they are by no means reusable. However, a positive point for the protection of plastic is the recycling of the plastic used in corrugated plastic sheets. These films protect floors, walls, exterior windows, and many other surfaces in large commercial construction projects. In recent months, plastic sheets made from up to 30% pre-consumer plastic waste are available and made in the US The manufacturer will accept the used sheets for recycling into new sheets.

Choosing to use surface protection is in itself a positive step towards sustainability. Protecting bathtubs, floors, doors and other finishes reduces the chances that they will require repairs with toxic compounds or, worse, that they cannot be recovered and end up in a landfill. This unfavorable result hurts both the environment and builders’ profits. The trend towards sustainable surface protection is expected to continue to advance rapidly in the future as the options and popularity of eco-friendly finishes increase.