Sustainability Report
32Pages

Environmentally Preferable Flooring

Introduction Welcome to Polyflor’s 9th report The aim of this brochure is to clearly report Polyflor’s sustainability performance for 2013. We have sound environmental; quality; responsible sourcing and CSR (corporate social responsibility) credentials and policies in place, but it is important to continue to build on this and thus openly communicate it to all stakeholders. Transparency is central at a time where environmental issues become increasingly important and companies seek commercial advantage wherever they can. The term ‘greenwashing’ is one that we are all aware of and something...

Sustainability Progress Product Stewardship International Stewardship Recofloor About Vinyl Polyflor Materials Polyflor EPDs Energy Efficiency BRE Individually Assessed Ratings Waste Management Maximising BREEAM credits with Polyflor LEED Ecospecifier & Green Tag Transport & Logistics 7. Corporate Social Responsibility Commitment to our Employees Commitment to our Supply Chain & BES 6001 Commitment to our Community Economic Sustainability Low Maintenance Safety Performance Air Quality Polyflor Credentials Environmentally Preferable Flooring

Sustainable Progress Polyflor’s vision is to be as carbon neutral as possible, as well as being socially and economically responsible. The vision of our business model is fully encompassed by the Three Pillars of Sustainability, which focus on Environment, People and Economic Sustainability. Polyflor has for many decades been recognised as a leading global manufacturer of high quality, high performance floorcoverings. In the 2012 Palmer Market Research Report for resilient flooring, Polyflor was also recognised as the leading sustainable company with architects in particular rating Polyflor...

PVC makes a major contribution to the quality, safety & cost-effectiveness of construction materials, as well as contributing to lower environmental impacts of completed projects It is the most widely used polymer in building & construction applications and over 60% of Western Europe’s annual PVC production is used in this sector PVC Europe • Up to 85% sustainable material used in Polyflor flooring • REACh compliance – No harmful substances such as formaldehyde • Polyflor does not use plasticisers that are classified on the REACh authorisation list

About Vinyl Polyflor Materials Vinyl is a cost effective multi faceted plastic - a necessity in everyday life due to its flexibility, durability, performance and functionality. Used in flooring, cables, windows, packaging and medical equipment including blood bags and surgical tubing, this material is irreplaceable for many of its lifesaving applications. Vinyl is made up of 57% salt (chlorine) and 43% oil (ethylene), salt being one of the world’s most abundant natural resources. It is important not to make decisions on a product’s environmental performance, based solely on emotional...

Sustainable Production includes the following elements: 1. Efficient use of natural resources, including materials, water & energy 2. Minimization of wastes & emissions, including those discharged to water, air or on land 3. Reduction of risks to humans & environment from use of chemicals and disposal of chemicals used in industry United Nations Industrial Development Organisation • Polyflor vinyl has a low carbon footprint, using less energy in the production phase than many other resilient flooring materials • 100% recyclable & can be recycled many times over, without loss of performance...

Energy Efficiency The amount of energy required per m2 of material produced has continued to fall year on year down to 2.70KwHr per m2 representing a 46% drop since 2000. This reduction in energy used has been as a result of hard work on the company’s environmental objectives. into context it gives equivalent carbon dioxide emissions as 1 kg of frosted cornflakes, both at 1.9kg CO2. Recycled PVC is just 0.3kg CO2. Here are some other every day examples: • Vinyl uses less energy to produce than other plastics, at least 15% less energy than linoleum and 50% less energy than ceramics, due to...

Waste Management Even with an increase in production throughout 2013 there has been continual progress on site in reducing dry and liquid waste. As a business with electrical and electronic equipment to dispose of, we are fully compliant with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive and therefore recycle such waste accordingly. Improvements on waste management (such as the updated waste management system at the Oldham sales and distribution centre, which reduced the amount and frequency of waste) and recycling initiatives meant that dry waste fell from 7.5% of...

• Polyflor fleet reduced carbon emissions through increased volume of bulk loads & backhauling; new, fuel efficient fleet and improved driver effectiveness • New luxury vinyl sheet developed with lower environmental impact; improved maintenance benefits; available in multiple widths (2, 3 & 4 metres); can be loose laid up to 24m2, thus reducing installation wastage & use of adhesive

Transport & Logistics The efficient distribution of our products is imperative to our customers. It is important that we achieve this whilst acting responsibly within the supply chain and minimising our carbon footprint. In collaboration with industry partners, Polyflor is working on developments in new products and technologies. We are continually evaluating new ideas or alternatives which minimise environmental impact. Achievements for 2013 • Appointed a Driver Trainer - extending this to two Driver Trainers - both will be trained by ‘MAN Profi Drive’ to permeate ‘Best Practice’...

We wanted to select a vinyl flooring with really good lifecycle, good floor products that would be easily maintained & durable. Polyflor had the best products to last the next 20 years – a very good lifecycle to minimise cleaning & good durability Raz Favotto, Thiess Construction (New $721 million Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia) • Perfect for indoor use areas – no compromise on the function or the environment • Market leading low maintenance benefits • Extremely low VOC emissions, with no negative contribution to indoor air quality