Homes built or remodeled in the last decade tend to have one thing in common: The floors are “luxury” vinyl plank. The material is cheap, and by scanning wood to make a print, manufacturers can somewhat convincingly mimic the real thing. But the material — now the most common type of flooring in the U.S. — is causing problems. The flooring uses PVC, plastic made from vinyl chloride, a toxic chemical. PVC products are dangerous to make, both for workers and communities nearby. They can potentially be dangerous to use because of additives. When they’re thrown out, that can lead to more pollution. And products like vinyl flooring keep growing, despite the fact that safer alternatives exist. …Perkins & Will, the architecture firm, noted in one report that some additives like plasticizers don’t bind tightly to PVC, so they can eventually end up in household dust that you breathe, or could be directly absorbed through bare feet.