RECLAIMED & GREEN FLOORING
CHALKING UP THE VALUE
Cradle to cradle carpet company, Desso has launched a new material stream by upcycling up to 20,000 tonnes of chalk from local water companies. Tomorrow’s Flooring reports.
In a bold new move on the transformational journey to the circular economy, Desso, global manufacturer of carpets and sports pitches has developed a new material stream for its carpet tiles based on a partnership with a group of drinking water companies in the Netherlands.
In collaboration with Reststoffenunie, an association of drinking water companies in the Netherlands, Desso has found a way to upcycle re- engineered calcium carbonate (chalk) from local drinking water companies such as Brabant Water and WML (Water Maatschappij Limburg). The chalk is positively defined in accordance with C2C criteria and is used for the production of Desso's carpet tiles with EcoBase backing, which is C2C Silver certified and 100% recyclable in Desso’s own production process.
The result of this new innovation is that Desso’s products with EcoBase backing will now contain on average 50% positively defined recycled content. “This new development is a hugely exciting step forward in our vision to become a Cradle to Cradle company developing products that meet high standards of creativity, functionality and are also positive to human health and the planet,” said Ludwig Cammaert, Desso’s chief of research and development (R&D).
Ria Doedel, CEO of WML, commented: “More than 99% of our waste material, especially iron and calcium, is now recycled. The innovations in this area are increasing and sometimes surprising. Our co-operation with Desso is a great example of this.”
Desso is the first carpet company in the world to use the upcycled calcium carbonate (chalk), co-created by Desso’s R&D team and its partners in the water
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industry. It expects to draw as much as 20,000 tonnes of chalk from this circular economy waste stream for its carpet tiles in partnership with the Dutch water companies. Desso has also launched its new Transitions collection with this positively defined recycled content.
“In Cradle to Cradle philosophy, consistent and positively defined material streams are treated as nutrients for the technological or biological spheres,” said Ludwig Cammaert, Desso’s chief of R&D. “Our first task was to design the DESSO EcoBase carpet tiles so that they could be disassembled when taken back in the post-consumer stage.”
The next stage was to look for new circular innovations, added Cammaert. “We are always looking for ways to utilise consistent waste streams as a nutrient for the production of our carpet tiles today.”
In this case, he went on to say that, R&D at Desso, along with its partners, spotted a way to use material streams from the drinking water industry, a completely different sector. The water process leaves a residual of calcium carbonate after it has softened groundwater, a necessary step to make it suitable for drinking. In addition, soft water increases the lifespan of home appliances, as it reduces chalk deposits and therefore requires less cleaning.
“We had some challenges, but with the strong commitment and support of all the partners we were able to overcome them,” said Cammaert. “Also with the help of Sibelco, an advanced global industrial minerals supplier, the calcium carbonate particle size and particle size distribution was tailored to Desso’s requirements, making this a true innovation in the value chain process.”
The process utilises a material stream that might otherwise have ended up in less valuable outlets; and by sourcing and processing this material stream locally, Desso and its partners could ensure it had a positive impact on the environment, and demonstrate perfectly how circular economy thinking can be brought into practice driven by Cradle to Cradle principles.
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