Our sustainability journey
Since its launch in 1997, IVC has focused on improving the durability and environmental performance of its production processes. By combining responsible material choices with ongoing product development, the company works to reduce the environmental footprint of its flooring solutions.
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One Home
In 2022 Unilin launched One Home, our group-wide sustainability strategy with ambitious targets in several domains. We look into the environmental impact of our products and production processes, but also at how we live at home, at work and on our planet.
Planet Home
Planet Home is our commitment to supporting the global transition to more sustainable products and production systems. Guided by Mohawk Industries’ environmental policy, we focus on climate action and circularity.
At Unilin, we reduce fossil fuel use, lower the carbon footprint of our products, and enhance recyclability, while ensuring responsible management of our production sites.
Your Home
As part of our sustainability strategy, the Your Home pillar focuses on how our products contribute to creating healthy, comfortable and sustainable living spaces.
Since we spend most of our lives indoors, the quality of these environments directly impacts our well-being.
Our Home
Our Home is a commitment to our people and our community. A thriving, futureproof company is built on the health, well-being, development and engagement of its employees.
Across Mohawk Industries, the foundation in this field is formed by our health and safety, human rights, and training and development policies.
Science Based Targets
Science-based targets provide companies with a clearly-defined path to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C as a goal, these targets are scientifically validated to meet the necessary goals.
Since 2021 we are working with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), alongside over 4000 other companies, and we have submitted our calculation and targets for validation. In 2023 the SBTi has confirmed alignment with the 1.5°C goal and approved validated our emission reduction targets and plan set for 2030.
Efficient manufacturing
When we make sheet vinyl flooring, we partly rely on natural resources like the sun, wind and water to reduce the environmental impact of our manufacturing process. Since nature’s resources are the most valuable ones we have, we make every effort to look for the most efficient and sustainable ways to use them.
- Our raw materials are delivered in bulk to avoid unnecessary packaging.
- Windmills and solar panels supply a share of our energy consumption. The turbines produce around 11500 MWh of renewable energy each year. We installed more than 6000 solar panels on the roof of our Avelgem plant generating 3076 MWh per year.
- Process cooling uses water from the River Scheldt as a heat exchanger, after which the water is released back to the river with a monitored temperature, and without contamination.
- Gelling drums recuperate the heat from the oven through a high-efficient heat recovery program. Additionally, an external heat wheel has been implemented to recover internal energy.
- Post-industrial vinyl waste is recycled and reused for production purposes, with a circular economy in mind.
- Smart choice of suppliers: we actively engage in identifying and implementing green‑energy‑derived raw materials and raw materials with recycled content.
Glueless installation
Loose-lay vinyl enables glue free and rapid installation and can be removed easily, which supports easier handling and reduces installation-related emissions. The technology allows superfast and odour free installation, supporting a high quality indoor environment because of low emissions.
Made with partially recyclable materials, this product is designed so that its components can be reused or recycled through relevant take back or recycling systems. All our products can be loose laid depending on the area surface and intended use.
Socially responsible flooring
Plastic Bank®
All our textile backed-products are made from carefully chosen textile with ranges from 25% up to 90% recycled content in the textile fibers. For some of our textile-backed products, additionally we join the Plastic Bank social initiative.
Every day, Plastic Bank® communities search for plastic waste and bring it to local collection centres. In exchange, they are rewarded with life-improving benefits including health, work and life insurance, digital connectivity, grocery vouchers, school supplies, fintech services, and more. Plastic Bank® currently stops plastic waste in Indonesia, the Philippines, Egypt, Brazil, Thailand and Cameroon.
Recover, a new life for floors
In our ambition to lower our environmental impact, waste reclamation, reuse and recycling are essential parts of our daily process. Through the Recover Take Back Program, we aim to increase the amount of material that can be collected and prepared for reuse or recycling into new floors or other applications.
We recycle post‑industrial waste and actively channel post‑installation and post‑consumer loose‑lay sheet vinyl to reuse or recycling through external recycling centers.
Increasingly, recycling takes place in on site recycling units. This way, we optimize transport between partners and our production sites. In-house recycled material is used as raw material for new LVT floor coverings. Secondly, we promote loose-lay installation, which is easier to remove and recycle.
Revinylize, our newest technology
We’re completely rethinking our products: how can we use recycled sheet vinyl in the development of new sheet vinyl?
Beyond purchasing recycled, bio-based and green energy based materials, we also reuse or recycle post industrial, post installation and post consumer waste into new floor coverings.
However, we do not stop innovating. Using an advanced recycling technology, we are able to make all layers of our sheet vinyl partially circular. In order to do this, we’re taking a two-pronged approach, centered on the micronisation of sheet vinyl on the one hand and the recycling of plasticizers via innovative extraction technology on the other hand.
This groundbreaking technology is one of the first circular processes in the sheet vinyl industry.
Life Cycle Analysis
EPD
To understand the impact of our products, we conduct Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). These assessments allow us to identify opportunities of improvement, and push us to innovate to lower the impact of our products throughout the entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life.
To underline our commitment to transparency these LCA’s are transformed to EPD’s or FDES (French market). By providing stakeholders, customers, and the public with detailed information on the environmental performance of our products, we guide them to make informed choices aligned with their sustainability goals.
Certifications
Together with temperature and humidity; air quality is one of the most important factors in interior environments. We want to make sure that our sheet vinyl flooring, that is often a central part of people’s living spaces, contribute to healthy and safe living spaces and ensure that they don’t pose any health risks to our end users. To do so we make sure that all our products comply with the A+ French emission label. Certain product ranges additionally comply with recognised standards, including FloorScore certification and the Singapore Green Building requirements.
In line with our ethical policies and legal obligations, we source and process only raw materials that comply with social, ethical and legal standards, including regulations such as REACH. We also screen partners and suppliers to ensure they meet these requirements, safeguarding the integrity and quality of the products delivered to end users.
