Exhibitors at the recent Greenbuild 2010 conference in Chicago largely promoted their products’ sustainability platforms. While new products were on display at the three-day event that drew 28,000 people, many had been launched during the annual NeoCon show in Chicago last June.
The message of Greenbuild was environmental transparency. “We are now offering environmental labels that, similar to nutrition labels, list the ingredients in the products and the energy and resources used to make the product,” said Kim Matsoukas, Bentley Prince Street sustainability manager.
Shaw Industries displayed copies of its second annual Sustainability Report. “It contains a variety of metrics,” said Peter Sigmon, Shaw vp innovation. “We want to be transparent in how we measure our sustainability efforts.”
Tandus Flooring promoted its Environmental Center closed-loop reclamation site in Dalton, the first reclamation center to be certified by Scientific Certification Systems. “It’s the only facility of its kind that has been third-party certified,” noted Ross Leonard, Tandus director of marketing. He said the move brought more transparency.
Invista showcased its Antron carpet fiber’s First Life sustainability platform. The company has made a pledge to reduce its overall energy intensity by 20 percent by 2020. “We’re looking at the machines we run, and ways to produce energy with cleaner sources,” said Sarah Wilson, Antron sr. marketing specialist.
Johnsonite promoted its Balanced Choice sustainability platform through its recently launched Ecolibrium Wall Base, a product that contains rubber, olefin and natural fillers in the form of walnut and oyster shells. “From a sustainability standpoint, this is big news, because it’s a wall base with bio-based material,” noted Jeff Krejsa, Johnsonite’s vp marketing, North America.
Milliken promoted its overall sustainability message and the wide range of certifications on its products, including SMART Platinum certification. According to Bill Gregory, Milliken is the only carpet company to achieve the certification, which measures a product’s life cycle and social performance among other criteria. “The message of transparency is critical to evaluating a company and choosing products with the right certifications,” Gregory said.
Greenbuild 2011 is set for Oct. 5-7 in Toronto, Canada. For more information, visit www.greenbuildexpo.org.