Description

Sustainable materials are often perceived as expensive, complicated, or difficult to specify. But does sustainability really have to come with a premium?

This presentation explores the barriers that can make lower-impact materials feel out of reach and examines how the industry can make sustainable options more practical, accessible, and scalable. Drawing on Flora Materials’ firsthand experience developing a genuinely bio-based flooring product, the discussion will unpack the challenges surrounding cost, testing, certification, and specification systems.
 
Attendees will also explore the important role interior designers can play in expanding access to emerging sustainable materials by asking better questions, applying professional judgment, and creating space for credible products that may not yet appear in established databases.