Marmoleum, the sustainable choice
Marmoleum contributes to a better world for present and future generations.

Marmoleum contributes to a better world for present and future generations.
Marmoleum is made from natural raw materials, most of which are harvested as annual crops. Flax plants, which provide the vegetable linseed oil, jute, used for the mesh carrier on which linoleum is calendered and wood flour obtained from the waste material of production forestry, all during their lifetime capture CO2 which is absorbed in the plants and trees that are used to manufacture linoleum.
Forbo's Marmoleum product range is the only CO2 neutral resilient flooring (from cradle to gate) and the best choice for every sustainable interior. By using durable materials in your house, office, school, train, hospital or retail store you can also contribute to a better environment!
Ever since we began making floor coverings, starting with linoleum more than 100 years ago, we have been committed to creating better environments in all the spaces in which people, work, live, interact, relax, heal, learn and play. Today, with a vastly increased range of choices, we remain every bit as passionate about sustainable floor coverings.
Through years of intimate contact with our customers and end users, we understand the built environment and the impact our products have on it. Based on this, we focus on advancing products and solutions whose life cycles comply with the circular economy model. We operate transparently, in line with the objectives and goals of our sustainability strategy.
The result is the most responsible and sustainable portfolio of state-of-the-art floor coverings for you and your environment, wherever you are.
Ultimately, what matters is what our priorities are.
What will be our legacy: missed opportunities or ecological sustainability and wellbeing?
The art of manufacturing linoleum is a process whereby natural raw materials are mixed and require time to cure and mature before the next production step.
In the 5 weeks, it takes to make linoleum, the energy used predominantly comes into play in the calendaring process and the heat required for the stoves that regulate the drying of the linoleum sheet. Both the Assendelft and Kirkcaldy linoleum plants are modern production environments that operate on 100% green electricity.
Making linoleum is considered an art, which is not learned at any trade or craft school. Determining the correct mixture of ingredients, allowing the right time for raw materials to settle, applying the correct temperature and pressure are skills the experts of Forbo Flooring must master.
The Marmoleum product range is carbon dioxide (CO2) neutral (from cradle to gate) because the natural crops of jute, flax and trees absorb much carbon dioxide and the production process costs little energy. To be able to produce a CO2 neutral floor, that not only lasts for over thirty years but is also bio-degradable at its end of life, is truly unique.
The outcome of the Paris agreement (2015) is one where all countries across the world are unified in mitigating climate change in a program that begins in 2020 and should result in measurable effects in decreasing national CO2 levels over time. With its Marmoleum CO2 neutral product range (from cradle to gate), Forbo Flooring contributes to a better environment by producing a product that does not affect the worldwide climate change. As such, Forbo Marmoleum is the best flooring choice for every sustainable interior.
We published our first Sustainability Report way back in 2005. This contained information about our production locations and product portfolio. Today, our annual Sustainability Report is drafted according to GRI guidelines and covers every aspect of the triple bottom line – the environmental, social and economic dimensions that underpin a consistent strategy to achieve the sustainability goals we have set out in our environmental management systems.
You can download our most recent Sustainability Reports by clicking on the buttons below.
A sense of responsibility towards the environment and subsequent generations are important components of our daily activities. We are constantly working to further develop our products and make the production process more climate-friendly.
Our products receive many worldwide quality marks and certifications for being environmental friendly. Forbo Marmoleum is the most durable floor in the world, so we are proud that environmental experts confirm this statement.
Transparency is critical to achieving sustainability. Transparency demands that companies share information about the contents of their products, how they are made and the impact they may have on the environment, users and the community. As early as 1996, Forbo Flooring Systems began working with Leiden University in The Netherlands, to establish a transparent overview of every possible impact of our linoleum products.
Today, we offer impact information for every Forbo product by life cycle assessments and environmental product declarations that are independently reviewed.
a complete product portfolio with 100% transparency forms the ultimate sustainable solution for our customers
A life cycle assessment is a comprehensive system for measuring the environmental impacts of the life of a product. The measurement is standardized and equal for all types of products. While system boundaries, quality of data and weighting factors play a role in the overall assessment, our LCAs are accepted once they have been verified by an independent third party.
To prove the eco-friendliness of our linoleum product, Forbo uses several assessments. The first is the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique resulting in an environmental product declaration (EPD). This declaration, which is transparent and third-party verified, is based on a technique to assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, to ultimate disposal or recycling.
This technique takes all the following aspects into account: environmental impact of raw material acquisition, energy use and efficiency, content of materials and chemical substances, emissions to air, soil and water and waste generation.
CHECK OUT OUR EPD DOWNLOAD PAGE
we provide unique transparency about human health impact and eco-toxicity in our EPDs:
all that is needed to minimize the impact on our earth and the people that live on it