By Ryann Coyle, manager of technical marketing and sustainability initiatives, Tile Council of North America
As flooring professionals, we understand the importance of successful installations. Installers bring the project to life and play a key role in influencing product choices and installation methods, uniquely positioned to connect the entire value chain toward more sustainable solutions. Yet too often they are left out of the sustainability dialog.
Organizers of this year’s Flooring Sustainability Summit, held July 16-17 in Washington, D.C., said they are making it a priority to engage installers more directly for the 2026 edition. They stated, “the knowledge, experience and perspective of professional installers are critical to the success and strategy of the evolving sustainability landscape.”
Held at the historic Mayflower Hotel and the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, this year’s Summit convened top voices from certification bodies, manufacturers, architects, designers and construction professionals. The event was co-hosted by leading flooring associations including the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), Natural Stone Institute (NSI), North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA), Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) and Tile Council of North America (TCNA).
Day One: Setting the Stage
The Summit began with a joint keynote from Peter Templeton, president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Corey Clayborne, sr. vp of knowledge and practice of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). This was followed by a high-level panel discussion—featuring executives from the Green Building Initiative (GBI), ASTM International, USGBC and AIA—exploring the evolving sustainability landscape including policy, regulatory and market drivers shaping the industry.
Chuck Chaitovitz of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce delivered a briefing on how the Chamber can support the flooring industry in advancing its sustainability initiatives, and how that can drive business growth. Another key focus was circularity. The industry is shifting to systems that encourage adaptive reuse of spaces, material reuse of products, recycling and closed-loop solutions. A panel moderated by Mike Johnson of the International Living Future Institute emphasized that no one achieves circularity alone: suppliers, designers, recyclers and installers all play critical roles.
Day one closed with a call for industry-wide training and awareness to ensure sustainability efforts are implemented by all partners across the value chain. Other key takeaways were:
- Sustainability is not on hold. Despite economic and political fluctuations, sustainability remains central to business strategies across the flooring industry. Companies continue to prioritize green building initiatives, low-impact materials and environmental stewardship across the full product life cycle.
- Coming together to discuss these topics continues to be important. Industry-wide forums like the Summit play a crucial role in fostering alignment, sharing best practices and creating solutions. The Summit reaffirmed the power of collective engagement in moving the industry forward.
- Market-driven innovation is always the preference, but policy can help set the vision. The private sector drives rapid flooring sustainability innovation through competition, creativity and standardization, and the government has historically been helpful in establishing broad direction through policy and procurement initiatives.
- The green building industry has aligned on the Common Materials Framework, providing clarity and focus. Adoption of the Common Materials Framework offers a shared structure for evaluating material sustainability and helps designers and specifiers make more informed decisions.
- Circularity is the next big topic. The industry is buzzing around circular approaches that prioritize longevity, adaptive reuse, recycling and closed-loop systems. Long-term success depends on collaboration between suppliers, designers, contractors and standards developers throughout the product lifecycle.
- Data transparency is crucial, but it must be relevant and contextual. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of not just sharing data, but ensuring it is meaningful, understandable and directly tied to sustainability goals. Smart data use will drive smarter decisions.
- Explore more opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. Participants agreed on two goals: developing a collaborative sustainability education and awareness platform that is clear, inclusive and easy to use; and convening the value chain more regularly to unify communication and make the topic more accessible to broader audiences.
Day Two: Architects and Designers on Sustainability
The second day focused on how designing for sustainability is prioritized within the A&D community. Additionally, the 2025 Flooring Sustainability Summit Project Design Awards were presented to outstanding commercial and residential projects, showcasing how flooring choices can support both design goals and environmental performance.
During an architectural panel, leaders from Gensler, HOK, Perkins&Will, SmithGroup and TVS Architecture and Interior Design discussed the importance of data transparency and ease of access to information. They also highlighted the need for manufacturers to communicate their sustainable products and initiatives in ways that resonate across a broad range of project types, rather than focusing solely on individual attributes.
Closing keynotes from Elizabeth Von Lehe, board chair of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and Eric Corey Freed, director of sustainability at CannonDesign, made for a fitting end to the event. Von Lehe discussed key sustainability drivers and indicators guiding design decisions; Freed provided insight into how we can teach professionals to embrace sustainable practices even when concerned about ROI, cost and organizational change.
The Gap in Qualified Labor
One topic that can’t be ignored, and mentioned repeatedly during the Summit, is the ongoing shortage of qualified installers. This challenge spans every flooring category: carpet, ceramic, hardwood, laminate, resilient, rubber, epoxy coatings and more. Without skilled labor, sustainable products can’t be properly installed, maintained or removed. This results in more waste, more rework, missed opportunities and non-sustainable installations.
Solving the labor shortage isn’t just about hiring more people; it’s about placing more value on the trade, investing in installer education, and highlighting the role of installation within the broader sustainability conversation.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The 2026 Flooring Sustainability Summit will return to Washington, D.C. on July 15-16. For more information and updates on the 2026 Summit, visit www.flooringsummit.com.
