The 2016 Sustainability Report released by Mohawk Industries shows a comprehensive overlook of the company’s commitment to sustainability. In 2016 alone, process improvements, product re-engineering and equipment upgrades positively impacted Mohawk’s productivity by $140 million.
“In 2016, our company enjoyed a record year, but our financial results are only one measure of our success,” said Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk chairman and CEO. “Today, as the world’s largest flooring company, we also assess our performance by the significant and positive impact we make through all aspects of our business. Our sustainability practices reflect the commitment of our company and the passion of our people. We continue to push the boundaries of sustainability with innovative new products and processes because we believe in—and are willing to invest in—a better tomorrow.”
The report notes Mohawk’s progress in corporate responsibility and sustainability. In 2016, the company reports it: recycles 7.1 billion pounds of waste and 5.4 billion plastic bottles a year; recycles 25 million pounds of tires into doormats; reduced its use of water by 277 million gallons since 2015; and reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity by 12.8%, its energy intensity by 1.9% and its water intensity by 35%, since 2010.
The report details an environmentally friendly approach to cooling water at Mohawk’s vinyl flooring plant in Belgium; how the Glasgow, Va. carpet tile plant is tackling the global pollinator crisis; and a mobile material recycler that can process up to 30 tons of scrap material per hour for ceramic tile plants in Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas.
The report also highlights Mohawk’s sustainable products. More than 450 of the company’s tile products contain pre- and post-consumer recycled content. Similarly, Mohawk’s laminate flooring products are made with predominantly recycled wood fiber and chips from sustainable sources. In commercial flooring, it has the industry’s largest portfolio of Red List-free products, according to the report.
“People spend about 90% of their time inside, so we as a company have a responsibility to ensure our products are contributing to healthy, productive, inspirational spaces,” said George Bandy, Mohawk’s vice president of sustainability. “Constantly working toward a better version of ourselves is a significant part of Mohawk’s DNA. This idea fuels our breakthroughs across our five pillars: design, innovation, sustainability, project solutions, and operational excellence. From our new Light Lab Design Center in Northwest Georgia, which earned the state of Georgia’s first Living Building Challenge Petal certification from the International Living Future Institute, to our manufacturing plants around the world, we understand and embrace that better is always possible.”
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