As sustainability continues to steer innovation, rigid core products—long dominated by SPC and WPC made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC)—are evolving toward a new generation of environmentally responsible alternatives. Today, PVC-free flooring is no longer a fringe concept or a marketing experiment. It’s a growing movement led by manufacturers that are combining ecological responsibility with high-performance design.
Shifting the conversation
For years, PVC has been the backbone of rigid core flooring, prized for its durability, waterproof qualities and design flexibility. But as conversations around chemical safety, recyclability and “forever materials” gain urgency, flooring manufacturers are reexamining what “resilient” should really mean.
“I think this is following the overall trend of people’s motivation to care more and do more for the environment,” said Derek Welbourn, CEO of Inhaus. “When you say PVC-free, you’re also saying recycling viability and the use of fewer chemicals—both for yourself and for the environment.”
At Germany-based Classen Group, the decision to go PVC-free predates the trend entirely. “When PVC flooring began to dominate the market, we deliberately chose a different path— investing in alternative material technologies such as PET and, ultimately, polypropylene,” said Céline Quervel, managing director. “It wasn’t easy to position polypropylene as an equivalent—or even superior—option to PVC, but the advantages in health, sustainability and recyclability are undeniable.”
The shift toward PVC-free is not just about regulation; it’s about redefining what sustainable performance looks like. “Sustainability has always been a core value at Milliken,” said Cliff Warnock, the company’s vice president of market and product management. “Our carpet tile has been made PVC-free since 1986, so moving toward PVC-free hard surface options [was a natural next step].”
Mohawk’s leadership team echoed that sentiment. “Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the environment and eager to do what they can to help,” said Erica Breazeale, vice president of marketing, resilient. “Offering a PVC-free option is a positive [addition to an already environmentally conscious business].”
Adam Ward, Mohawk’s vice president of product management, resilient, added: “We’re in the game of giving consumers what they want. As interest in plastics and PFAS grows, we felt we needed to offer options that meet those expectations—while still delivering the performance Mohawk is known for.”
Redefining performance
A common misconception in the flooring world has been that sustainability requires a tradeoff in performance. But manufacturers say that’s no longer the case. Today’s PVC-free rigid core products are matching—and in some cases exceeding—the benchmarks set by traditional SPC when it comes to overall performance.
“There are many paths to PVC-free products,” Inhaus’ Welbourn said. “We chose polypropylene because it’s highly durable, strong and stable. It can be made without additives, so it’s chemical-free and easy to recycle. When done correctly, it can vastly exceed PVC in durability, recyclability and overall performance.”
Inhaus’ Ceramin collection, for example, is so stable and water resistant, according to the company, that the same material is used in its line of shower wall panels.
At Classen, where polypropylene-based cores have been perfected over years of research, performance has become a proof point. “PVC-free SPC is absolutely on par with traditional SPC—and in several areas, it actually performs better,” Quervel explained. “Our own proprietary, water-resistant click profile means not only is the material but the locking system is designed to prevent water intrusion—providing real protection for the entire floor system. Our polypropylene-based core also has a lower density, making the boards lighter and easier to handle without compromising stability.”
For Mohawk, the transition to a PET-based core offered its own set of advantages. “What we found was that there were a lot of performance benefits in terms of no acclimation, scratch resistance and dimensional stability,” Ward explained. “Our SolidTech R product has roughly twice the joint strength of standard SPC and 3x the scratch resistance, thanks to a liquid-applied coating. It even performs better in three-season rooms.”
At Milliken, Warnock said the company’s PVC-free resilient offerings perform “equal or better” than their PVC counterparts. “The benefit of our platform is that there are no tradeoffs in performance or visual,” he explained. “That’s what has made it so well received in the market.”
Innovation at the molecular level
The science behind PVC-free flooring isn’t simple. These products rely on re-engineered cores made from materials such as polypropylene or PET—both of which present manufacturing challenges.
“Everything had to change— from extruding the core to handling the material,” Inhaus’ Welbourn explained. “We had to literally invent a new process. It took years and considerable investment.”
Inhaus’ use of double-extrusion technology with mineral-reinforced polypropylene allows the company to produce stable, recyclable boards without added chemicals.
Classen followed a similar path, building an entirely new process from the ground up. “We never invested in PVC production,” Quervel said. “That independence allowed us to design a process specifically for polypropylene composites. It required significant research and investment, but it also gave us full control over sustainability and performance.”
At Mohawk, PET’s chemistry offered both challenges and advantages. “You can’t make it with standard SPC extrusion machines,” Ward said. “It’s a completely different process, using digital printing rather than film layers. But the beauty is it uses the same feedstock as our bottle recycling facility for carpet. That means, if we decide to manufacture it domestically, we already have a sustainable source of material ready to go.”
He added that the product’s core is made from 100% recycled PET bottles, including colored plastics that typically can’t be used in carpet manufacturing. “We’re taking a waste stream that would otherwise end up in landfills and turning it into durable flooring,” he noted.
This innovation isn’t just technological—it’s philosophical. For Classen, sustainability has been a family commitment since its founding. “After learning about its health and environmental impacts, my grandfather, Dr. Hans-Jürgen Hannig, made the decision to stop all PVC-related production immediately and to find a better, safer and more sustainable way forward,” Quervel said. “That moment shaped our company’s direction. From then on, our mission was clear—to develop a product that protects both people and the planet.”
Educating the market
As with any new product or product category, consumer education remains a challenge—and an opportunity—one that manufacturers are tackling head-on. “When we first introduced PVC-free flooring, many retail sales associates had little awareness of what it actually meant,” Quervel noted. “We invested heavily in training and educational materials. Because Classen has been in the market with PVC-free products for many years, we’ve also gathered extensive experience in how to design effective point-of-sale materials—what messages resonate, which visuals connect emotionally and how to make the sustainability story tangible for end consumers. Today, we’re seeing a real shift: more and more retailers already have a basic understanding of the benefits of PVC-free materials, which allows us to build on that knowledge and go deeper into product storytelling.”
Mohawk has also focused on visual storytelling at retail. “We created an oversized water bottle POP display to make that immediate connection between recycled bottles and flooring,” Breazeale explained. “It draws consumers in and helps RSAs start the sustainability conversation.”
For Inhaus, the strategy is simple: let performance speak for itself. “We just tell our story and let the product do the rest,” Welbourn said. “It’s waterproof, highly durable, fantastically styled and made with 25% recycled content and is 100% recyclable.”
The path ahead
Whether it’s polypropylene, PET or future bio-based polymers, the momentum behind PVC-free flooring is undeniable. “We believe PVC-free will become the new benchmark for resilient flooring,” Quervel said. “With comparable costs, equal performance and clear sustainability advantages, there’s no reason to hold on to PVC.”
Inhaus’ Welbourn agreed, noting that as manufacturing scales, costs will continue to decline. “It’s quickly becoming the next standard. It’s better—and with market expansion, it’s becoming more affordable. And we get immense positive feedback from installers and consumers.”
Mohawk, however, remains pragmatic about adoption. “Sustainability is something people value, but they don’t always want to pay more for it,” Ward noted. “That’s why we focus on delivering sustainability and performance—so the consumer isn’t choosing one over the other. This isn’t about compromise; it’s about advancement.”
Breazeale added that the movement is generational. “Millennials are driving this change. They’re more likely to prioritize sustainability, and they’re influencing the market with their values—and their social platforms.”
Milliken’s Warnock sees a similar trend across the commercial markets. “PVC-free flooring resonates with healthcare, hospitality and higher education,” he said. “The contract market has been interested in PVC-free solutions for a decade or more, driven by a pursuit of sustainable building certifications and the increasing requirements to disclose material content in all products used in commercial spaces.”
