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 — if you design it right.
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 — 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.
Breaking Ground on Better Building
Key Insight #1: Flooring Isn’t Just About Bounce — It’s 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’t off-gas, last longer, and offer superior restitution for athletes.
ROI: Improved air quality, safer impact absorption, extended lifespan — with verified carbon-negative.
Key Insight #2: One Size Doesn’t Fit All — Design for the Athlete, Not Just the Space
The Challenge: Many school districts default to “standard” flooring systems without considering age, activity, or use-case.
The Solution: Action Floors offers 14+ custom subfloor systems tuned to the specific athlete profile — from preschoolers to pros.
ROI: Reduced injuries, enhanced performance, and floors that align with building lifecycle and functional demands.
Key Insight #3: Carbon-Negative Sports Flooring Exists — 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 — backed by SGS-certified EPDs.
Sustainable Soundbite
Your Green Building Action Plan
Transform your next project with these steps:
This Week: Ask your flooring vendor if they have an EPD — and what’s under the surface.
This Quarter: If you’re 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 — especially in public education and athletic facility projects.
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’s 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 — and athletes — at the center.
Connect & Learn More
🌿 Access full episode resources: Green Building Matters Podcast
💚 Join the Green Building Movement
📄 Read the transcript: HERE
🏗️ Explore Action Floor Systems, LLC
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