When it comes to refurbishing, reuse and recycling, one of the biggest obstacles for flooring is overcoming contamination from how they are installed. Old adhesive on the subfloor can make refurbishing a space problematic, while residue on the backing of carpet tiles or LVT can make an otherwise recyclable or reusable floor only suitable for waste or energy recovery.

While hard flooring products, such as laminate and wood floors, have popularised floating 'click' style fitting, the majority of installations still rely on adhesive particularly in commercial locations. However, for modular products like carpet tiles and luxury vinyl tiles there are ways to install floors without glue. Not only do these systems help with reuse and recovery, they can also bring easier accessibility and better agility to interiors. In retail and office spaces, the ability to be able to quickly lift and rearrange floors is a major plus. Some of these systems are specific to the flooring type, which can be problematic in mixed flooring installations – using carpet tiles and luxury vinyl tiles in the same area is a mainstay trend in office design – but there are systems that can adapt to any modular flooring type.

One such system is IOBAC MAGTABS These clever magnetic tabs cling to the surface of raised access floors (or IOBAC's underlay or magnetised subfloor finishes) with a self-adhesive side that adheres to the back of the floor. The system is simple to deploy, versatile and universally compatible.

Whatever system is adopted, the move towards adhesive-free flooring installation brings advantages by blending adaptability, reuse, recycling, and a reduced environmental impact. The ease of reuse not only aligns with design but also underscores a commitment to resource efficiency, enabling flooring materials to find new life in evolving interiors. Simultaneously, the streamlined recycling process can reduce waste and help to mitigate some of the environmental burden of flooring disposal.