Sustainable Flooring: Carbon Footprint vs. Cradle to Cradle

Apr 10, 2024 | Carpet, OBJECT CARPET, Sustainable & Eco-Friendly

The current standard of carbon footprint, the standard that answers the questions of whether a product is carbon positive or negative is quantified in the EPD’s, but is this the whole and real test of sustainability?  Perhaps not.

Here is something interesting to contemplate. OBJECT CARPET (Germany) is leading the way to sustainable carpet manufacturing but does not base decisions on the carbon footprint rating of one-time production. The company is taking a longer view of what is healthy for the Earth and that answer has to do with cradle-to-cradle manufacturing.

New Cradle-to-Cradle Carpet Technology

The newest technology, developed by NIAGA (“again”, spelled backwards), is now happening at OBJECT CARPET.  The traditional way of manufacturing carpet involves attaching fiber to backing with latex, and some of the individual ingredients include filler.  The new technology starts with only one ingredient, recycled polyester, and OBJECT CARPET has termed this a MONO carpet because the yarn and the backing are made from only one ingredient: recycled polyester that are attached through a heat process.  At the end of life, these carpets can be delivered to one of Aquafil’s recycling centers and the entire unit can be recycled without the need to separate yarn from backing.  Because all ingredients are polyester, the entire product is reduced back into polyester pellets to be used to produce new carpet over and over again through the rest of time.

Furthering this development, OBJECT CARPET has created a DUO carpet consisting of only two ingredients. Nylon yarn on a polyester back, attached by the heat process.  When these carpets reach end of life, Aquafil can release the yarn from the backing and recycle backing into new backing and nylon into new nylon, allowing these components to be made back into carpet over and over again, endlessly.

So back to the carbon footprint question.  Nylon is a heavy fiber, percentagewise, to the whole of a carpet.  Producing this nylon brings a reasonable, but higher GWP (carbon footprint score) than polyester does.  However, each time the carpet is recycled back into carpet, that GWP score becomes lower because the nylon is not being remanufactured.  Perhaps the carbon footprint question needs to take cradle to cradle manufacturing technology into consideration.

Vertisol Fitnice Chroma Ash Parisian blue Macchiato | WELL Building Standard
The “greenest red carpet in the world.” OBJECT CARPET’s DUO makes its world debut at the Berlinale 2024.

Looking To The Future

The conclusion has to do with the statement, “Plan for tomorrow, but be sure to stay alive through today.” Both issues are important.  First, companies need to lower the carbon footprint of one-time production, but then they also must invent new ways of cradle-to-cradle manufacturing.  OBJECT CARPET, historically a leader of sustainable design, has decided to make their process transparent and has been hosting other manufacturers, architects, and designers in their production facility, and teaching others in the hope all carpet manufacturing will duplicate this type of production in the near future.  After all, for significant benefit, all must follow suit.

OBJECT CARPET Xposive Green Life 1840

Summit Delivers Responsible, Sustainable Flooring

Summit International Flooring proudly represents OBJECT CARPET in the USA, and we remain available to speak in more detail anytime.  If you are planning a trip to Western Europe, please consider adding a visit to OBJECT CARPET into your agenda, which we will help facilitate.  Summit, through our strong relationships with the Who’s Who of architectural and design firms, has shifted our stance from Unique Luxury to Sustainable Luxury and in addition to OBJECT CARPET, Summit also proudly represents Granorte Cork and DURACRYL bio-based terrazzo.

Granorte Cork has been supplying cork floor and wall coverings for over 50 years.   Cork is more sustainable and less expensive than wood and is healthier than vinyl.  Cork offers comfort, sound dampening, and appearance retention.  Trees are sheared every nine years, and they live for over 200 years.   Today’s cork is not the cork of yesteryear, and you will find benefit intaking time to check out Granorte and talk with Summit International Flooring.  Cork is also biodegradable and will disappear in landfills.  We are already seeing cork replace wood or vinyl in numerous market segments.
Granorte Cork Kenko Trending Flooring
DuraBella by Duracryl Bio-Based Terrazzo Flooring

DURACRYL invents new technology and offers a bio-based terrazzo that is flexible and will not crack or break like the old concrete terrazzo flooring and is more healthy than acrylic based terrazzo.  Free of red-list ingredients, this is healthy flooring that lasts forever and is climate positive / carbon negative because the castor oil base is made from castor plants that remove carbon from the air as they grow.  DURACRYL offers poured, seamless floors, and exclusively through Summit offers 2’x2’ tiles that are butted together and glued down with a sustainable adhesive.

Get in Touch with Us

Stay on the forefront of responsible, sustainable flooring by starting or building your relationship with Summit International Flooring.  We are confident you will appreciate our availability and old-fashioned service, which all starts from caring.  We care about Summit, we care about the planet, and we care about our service designed to help you be even more successful.

We hope to see you at the HD Expo, where we are located in Space 2234.

Our flooring experts are happy to help you find the perfect carpet for your project. Reach out lo get the ball rolling!

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