As part of our sustainability strategy, we have an energy reduction programme in place (as this will have an effect on our CO2 emissions). It is also important to state that our production processes do not use any water, except for the steam we use for our Flotex printing techniques.
Furthermore, we have programmes where we are looking for alternatives to using natural gas. For example, there are various locations where we have started the electrification of some previously gas-using equipment. We have converted to biogas in one of our factories as a pilot to see how this can be implemented in more locations.
FAQ - Production and distribution
On this FAQ page, you will find answers to questions about reducing waste, preserving resources, and ensuring environmentally friendly practises in the production and distribution of our flooring. If you don't find what you're looking for, please don't hesitate to reach out to us for further assistance.
What are your efforts to move towards greener production processes?
What kind of green energy do you use in your factories?
Green energy is something that we can purchase from our energy suppliers. All our western European manufacturing sites make use of green electricity. When using this type of electricity, we are assured that this energy is generated via wind, sun, or water sources. We also have our own solar energy panels on the roofs of a number of our factories.
How can you prove that you have waste reduction and recycling programs? For example, for the use of water, paper, ink, or plastic?
All our manufacturing sites are ISO 14001 certified, and for this certification, it is mandatory to have reduction programmes for energy, waste, etcetera. An independent third party audits and verifies this on a yearly basis.
We also have an internal programme called "The Green Walk." This programme is directed at our employees, letting them know that sustainability is everyone's responsibility and, in fact, begins with the things you can influence yourself. We regularly run campaigns on the use of electricity, water, air pressure, waste, etc., measure the use of copying machines, and have the aim to have 100% of our office waste recycled.
How do you use or re-use production waste?
We aim to reuse all of our production waste in our internal processes; this works very well and is part of our effort to become a zero-waste company following the principles of the circular economy. Factory waste most often is virgin material or material that is similar in recipe to the product we are producing, so reusing this waste in the same process is easy to do (when you have the right equipment and the specialised know-how).
Reusing production waste is almost a standard, as it is one of the easiest processes to master and control. In comparison to the much more complex process of collecting and reusing used floor coverings. We are transparent in our processes and in the information in our annual sustainability report. Here you can read exactly how much we re-use and recycle in our factories: 70% of our products already have more than 25% recycled content.
What information is there about a product's embodied energy, which is all the energy used to make the materials and all the energy needed for the whole product's life?
This information can be found in the EPD for each product.
What is your recycling target for the future?
We have multiple targets for 2025 to increase our circularity:
• We’re aiming for 20% recycled content in all our products
• We are designing for recycling: increase the recyclability of the products sold by increasing EU sales volume that is post-consumer recycled
• Increasing EU post-installation waste that is recycled
• Increasing loose-lay sales volume that is being reused and resold in the EU
Our ultimate target is becoming a zero-waste company, which means that we are not only looking at our post-production waste but also at the waste stream that is generated during the installation of our products or those streams that originate from post-consumer (old) floors. We have set targets on the amount of recycled material we use in our new floor coverings, and we have set targets on the amount of installation waste and post-consumer waste we are collecting and recycling back into our processes.
What is your recycling policy (on site)?
Our first goal is to use the least amount of raw material possible to produce high-quality, standard-compliant products. Our second goal is to re-use as much as possible of our raw materials during the production process and to recycle raw materials and composites that come, for example, from cutting waste from other factories. The ultimate aim is to have a zero-waste process.
How about the recyclability of your packaging?
Nearly all of our packaging is made from paper and paper core. These are all being recycled, both internally and via a third party. Paper waste on building sites is collected separately.
What is your transportation policy?
Our production sites are all located in Europe, where there is a very good infrastructure for road, rail, and water transportation options. While our factories will transport raw materials via waterways, our finished product will be distributed by road (truck) via professional transporters who will use fine distribution and are always guaranteed of return freight. We use hubs in our factories and in our local distribution networks to make sure that customers get all of the products they ordered at the same time, even if they were made in different places.
What energy is being used in transportation? Fossil fuels?
No, not by definition. Our third parties, the transporters, are very environmentally conscious and have electric trucks, which is certainly the case for the fine distribution. We also stimulate our partners to make these choices and investments.