Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is an increasingly relevant issue in our modern world where we spend much of our time indoors. It not only affects our health, but also our perception of comfort and well-being.

In February, researchers found a banned plasticizer in the circulation of kindergarten children - the exact cause remains unclear. The question arises: where else are plasticizers found and how dangerous are they? One example is PVC flooring made with plasticizers. The specialist journalist Josef Spritzendorfer is the founder of the European Society for Healthy Building and Indoor Hygiene (EGGBI). He is an expert in the field of healthy living and gives us his opinion on plasticizers in an interview.

Natural disasters, geopolitical events and the pandemic are having a significant impact on business in the flooring trade. The reason for this is the fragile supply chain. It plays a central role in global trade for many flooring manufacturers in terms of the availability and cost efficiency of their products, but is vulnerable in many places. We shed light on the various factors that can jeopardize the supply chain in the flooring trade.

The Classen Group is proud to have received numerous awards and recognitions for its dedicated work and sustainable products in the flooring industry. These awards demonstrate the company's ongoing commitment to quality, innovation and environmentally friendly solutions.

When analyzing around 250 children, researchers discovered that a banned plasticizer was present in their urine. This led to an alarmed reaction from the Federal Environment Agency, which asked the European Environment and Chemicals Agency to investigate the source. A prime suspect was identified.

Ecolabels, eco-labels and certifications offer orientation in the variety of building products and manufacturers, provided that their trustworthiness is known. We present the main variants and explain their significance.

IG BAU warns of the dangers of asbestos when renovating old buildings, which can also affect the PVC used. Commercial and private builders, tradesmen and DIY enthusiasts must be informed, say the experts, and call for, among other things, a pollutant building passport that identifies hazard levels and degrees of exposure.

The Eifel region honors companies that are committed to environmental technologies, such as the CLASSEN Group, which won the EIFEL Award in the sustainability category for its environmentally friendly achievements with the material CERAMIN.