TEXTILES.ORG
Carpet maker Desso of Waalwijk, Netherlands, is the first carpet manufacturer to be recognized with a Cradle to Cradle® gold certification. The line will be released in October.
The new Gold Collection comes standard with an EcoBase™ backing that contains upcycled re-engineered calcium carbonate (chalk) from local drinking water companies; the chalk is 100 percent recyclable in Desso’s own production process. In addition, the collection contains ECONYL®, a 100 percent regenerated nylon made from recovered waste materials, including post-consumer yarn waste from DESSO’s Refinity® plant.
To reach the certification, Desso fulfilled a range of environmental and human health criteria, as defined within the Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Product Standard. Products are certified by the independent Products Innovation Institute, based in the U.S. Next to this collection, 93 percent of Desso’s commercial carpet tile range is Cradle to Cradle certified, at either Bronze or Silver level, depending on the backing type.
Cradle to Cradle principles enable manufacturers to make goods designed for more than one product life cycle in an ever-moving, non-toxic closed loop, increasingly powered by renewable energy. The circular economy helps tackle several major global challenges: resource scarcity, toxicity, and climate change. As a regenerative model inspired by nature, it replaces the more traditional linear “take, make and waste” system.
Desso, a subsidiary of Paris-based flooring company Tarkett, is a carpets, carpet-tiles and sport pitches business, active in more than 100 countries. Its products are supplied to corporate offices, education, healthcare, government, homes and also hotels, cruise liners, airlines and premier football clubs.