Aspecta is one of the leading and most innovative companies in the LVT industry. The Aspecta product brand currently has the largest and most advanced range of LVTs on the market, especially following the introduction of new products and product components such as Isocore, manufacturing processes and new decorative and design concepts such as Aspecta Ornamental and Tilt &Tones.
This leading position is also linked to responsibility for a prudent sustainability policy. "The safe and sustainable manufacture of our products, transparency with regard to the raw materials we use, and a corporate culture that is based on trust and continuity form the basis for the quality of our Aspecta floor coverings," Marcel Kies describes the essential features. The high-performance floors are based on biophilic designs. They recreate the beauty of the environment, the uniqueness of culture and history, and are intended to help buildings and rooms become places of inspiration that bring people together and connect them.
"We're leading the way"
There have been EPDs for all Aspecta collections since 2017. These are environmental product declarations that provide information on the life cycle assessment of the products, and are used in building certifications to DGNB or LEEDS. "We are leading the way, blazing a trail worldwide, and showing our customers what lies beneath. Aspecta flooring initiated the first transformative discussions in the elastic floor covering industry," explains Marcel Kies. In order to assume its responsibilities, Aspecta is a member of various organisations and concludes cooperations with the ILFI (International Living Future Institute) and the RFCI (Resilient Floor Covering Institute) in the USA, and with the DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen, the German Society of Sustainable Building) in Germany. Just how seriously and comprehensively the company takes topics such as sustainability and transparency is also evident in the quality standards in the factories of both Asian production partners: they have received the first JUST seals for social justice in Chinese factories.
Includes product transparency
Aspecta is committed to comprehensive product transparency, both in terms of social justice and of product ingredients.The company is seriously committed to developing floor coverings that contribute to healthy interiors with healthy indoor air. The Health Product Declarations (HPDs) that Aspecta created for its entire flooring range provides information on the health effects of the ingredients.
Declare labels for all floor coverings
In cooperation with the international institute ILFI, Aspecta has developed declare labels for all four product lines, Aspecta ONE, FIVE and TEN, and the Tilt & Tones. As the equivalent of the nutrition labelling used with food, they list all the ingredients in construction products precisely and supply the answers to the three important questions: 1. Where does the product come from? 2.What is it made of? And no. 3, how will it be disposed of at the end? The labels are updated every time something changes in the product structure.The labels are available in six languages to support the growing demand for transparency in product components around the world. Aspecta was the first flooring company to translate Declare into the European languages, and also the first company to receive this label for a rigid core flooring (Aspecta Ten). "It is time to communicate openly about the ingredients in elastic floor coverings and the works where they are made. Aspecta products are completely transparent," says Marcel Kies.
Control the entire life cycle
As well as creating product transparency, Aspecta focuses on reducing the environmental impact of its raw materials, products and operations. In July 2016, the company established the position of Chief Sustainability Officer in order to align the entire corporate culture with sustainable principles. His tasks include the analysis and control of the floor covering life cycles. For example, all die-cutting waste is collected and recycled as carrier material. The steam that is produced during the compression of the coverings is collected and energetically processed. This also includes packaging and transport optimization and the cooperation with recycling systems such as the AgPR.
Aspecta promotes collaborative partnerships with major non-profits to encourage others to invest in a progressive and forward-looking ecosystem. Aspecta is committed to the continuous development of its sustainability initiatives, and repeatedly invites its customers to participate in this conversation.
Further information on the sustainability and transparency policy, working with biophilic design and the technical specifications can be found at www.aspectaflooring.com.