{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Karl Borree on Making Sports Floors Smarter, Safer, and More Sustainable","description":"\ud83c\udfaf The Green Impact Report Quick take: This episode is a must-listen for architects, contractors, and LEED Pros looking to level up athletic spaces. Karl Borree shares how flooring can dramatically impact health, sustainability, and even climate goals \u2014 if you design it right. \ud83c\udf93 Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Karl Borree is a veteran of the performance flooring industry and a passionate advocate for sustainable product innovation. As a key voice at Action Floors, Karl works at the intersection of health, athletics, and material science \u2014 driving forward the only carbon-negative maple flooring solution on the market today. With a background in coaching, economics, and rhetorical theory, he brings a unique human-centered lens to sustainable product strategy. \ud83c\udf31 Breaking Ground on Better Building \ud83d\udca1 Key Insight #1: Flooring Isn\u2019t Just About Bounce \u2014 It\u2019s About Emissions, Safety, and Lifecycle The Challenge: Traditional gym floors often use PVC-based pads that off-gas and lose performance over time. The Solution: Action Floors uses natural rubber pads that don\u2019t off-gas, last longer, and offer superior restitution for athletes. ROI: Improved air quality, safer impact absorption, extended lifespan \u2014 with verified carbon-negative. \ud83d\udca1 Key Insight #2: One Size Doesn\u2019t Fit All \u2014 Design for the Athlete, Not Just the Space The Challenge: Many school districts default to \u201cstandard\u201d flooring systems without considering age, activity, or use-case. The Solution: Action Floors offers 14+ custom subfloor systems tuned to the specific athlete profile \u2014 from preschoolers to pros. ROI: Reduced injuries, enhanced performance, and floors that align with building lifecycle and functional demands. \ud83d\udca1 Key Insight #3: Carbon-Negative Sports Flooring Exists \u2014 If You Know Where to Look The Challenge: Most stakeholders assume performance floors are carbon-intensive due to manufacturing and global shipping. The Solution: Action Floors sources maple from the UP of Michigan, leveraging cold climate slow-growth trees, and runs a verified carbon-negative operation. ROI: Global shipments with a smaller footprint than local competitors \u2014 backed by SGS-certified EPDs. \ud83c\udfa7 Sustainable Soundbite \u201cFollow your passion, not your pension \u2014 that\u2019ll bring you everything you really want.\u201d \u2013 Karl Borree \ud83c\udf0d Episode Overview Think sports flooring is just about looks or bounce? Think again. In this episode, Karl Borree of Action Floors pulls back the curtain on a massively underappreciated part of green building: what\u2019s under your feet. From carbon-negative maple to all-natural rubber pads engineered to reduce concussions, Karl shares how performance flooring is being reimagined with sustainability \u2014 and athletes \u2014 at the center. \u2705 Your Green Building Action Plan This Week: Ask your flooring vendor if they have an EPD \u2014 and what\u2019s under the surface. This Quarter: If you\u2019re designing a space for athletes (of any age), evaluate whether your flooring supports performance and long-term health. This Year: Shift from lowest-bid procurement to lifecycle-focused design \u2014 especially in public education and athletic facility projects. \ud83d\udd17 Connect & Learn More \ud83c\udf3f Access full episode resources: Green Building Matters Podcast \ud83d\udcc4 Read the transcript: here \ud83d\udd17 Connect with Karl Borree: [LinkedIn] \ud83c\udfd7\ufe0f Explore Action Floor Systems, LLC \ud83d\udc9a Join the Green Building Movement: https:\/\/www.greenbuilding.news\/subscribe \u2709\ufe0f Want More Green Building Insights? Get exclusive tips, expert interviews, and green design tools \u2014 delivered twice a week. \ud83d\udcec Subscribe FREE \u2192 https:\/\/www.greenbuilding.news\/subscribe   ","author_name":"The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti","author_url":"http:\/\/gbespodcast.libsyn.com\/website","html":"