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B.I.G. is on a path to zero environmental footprint by 2030. That’s right, zero. To make this journey more tangible, we’d like to offer you a passenger’s seat from which you get immersed in our diverse sustainability projects. Every two weeks, we’ll share a new project. In this edition: CISUFLO, the path to circular and sustainable flooring.
Although carpet, vinyl and laminate have significant lifespans, recycling processes are limited. Therefore, once discarded, they’re often harmful to the environment. Determined to change this, we joined CISUFLO – short for Circular Sustainable Flooring – a Horizon2020 project aimed at developing innovative circular products for the EU flooring industry and adopting a circular model throughout the entire value chain.
The future is circular
“Since we can’t keep producing virgin materials while incinerating or landfilling all our used products, we are inevitably moving towards a circular economy”, argues Sustainability Manager Femke Faelens. “The benefits are manifold: from securing the supply of raw materials and reducing pressure on the environment to increasing competitiveness and stimulating innovation. It’s not a matter of if, but when.”
B.I.G. X CISUFLO
“To put our ambitions into practice, we are participating in CISUFLO, a pioneering initiative, funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Centexbel, the Belgian textile research and testing center. Alongside various industry partners, associations and research institutions, we are exploring new ways to minimize the environmental impact of the flooring sector in the EU.”
“The goal of CISULFO is to establish a systemic framework for circular and sustainable flooring, taking into account technical feasibility and socioeconomic factors, and focuses on three types of floor covering: wood, textile and PVC. We are in the lead for the latter. In the coming months, we will help drafting design and traceability instructions for PVC flooring and conduct pilot tests with recycled content.”
Cooperation beats competition
“B.I.G. has been active on the circular front for quite some time. Our LVT flooring, for example, already contains large quantities of recycled content, which we intend to increase even further. For heterogeneous Cushion Vinyl, the prospect of adding just 5% recycled material would mean a major breakthrough for our industry.”
“Of course, we are not the only ones concerned with circularity. Our competitors – who are our industry partners in CISUFLO – are conducting similar projects for wood and textile. It’s essential to note that circularity isn’t about competition. Instead, it is through joint research and cooperation that we’ll be able to really accelerate the transition towards a global circular economy.”
