Tarkett has partnered with E.J. Welch Co. as the newest consolidator for its ReStart Recycling and Reclamation Program. E.J. Welch will serve Illinois, northwest Indiana, southeast Wisconsin and eastern Missouri, helping to make it easier for contractors and other members of a design/build community to return installation waste material, ultimately lessening the overall impact on the environment, according to the company.
“EJ Welch is excited to be an integral part of the Tarkett ReStart program. We believe that People Friendly Spaces, the third Pillar of Sustainability at Tarkett, fits the culture of family-owned businesses like EJ Welch, Tarkett and the flooring contractors we partner with,” said Erin Cartwright Fernandes, vice president of commercial sales for E.J. Welch. “Not only are we able to collaborate to consolidate scrap, diverting it from the landfill and returning it to Tarkett for a more useful purpose, but we are saving resources by utilizing the empty space on the transfer trucks in the return. By taking on this responsibility, we are able to give back to our families and our environment."
E.J. Welch is a value-added partner to flooring dealers, contractors, architect and design professionals, and the installation trade. The company joins a growing group of North American distributors who have shown their commitment to recycling and reuse by becoming a consolidator and helping to facilitate the ReStart program, according to Tarkett.
Other consolidator partners include Erv Parent Group, NRF Distributors and Brumark with Johnson Wholesale Floors.
"Tarkett focuses on end of use rather than end of life and aims to transform waste into resources for new products of equal or better quality," said Cartwright Fernandes. The company’s ReStart Recycling and Reclamation Program allows commercial flooring job scrap (rubber, vinyl and linoleum tile and sheet, wall base, floor finishing accessories and treadcuttings) to be collected and returned to Tarkett to be repurposed or recycled.
“The growing population continues to put increased stress on the resources of the planet and through efforts like the ReStart program, we work to drive sustainability and environmental efforts that benefit people, businesses and the planet,” said Diane Martel, vice president of environmental planning and strategy for Tarkett. “Tarkett is committed to doubling our volume of recycling program over our baseline year in 2010 and to ensuring that 75% of materials used in our products do not contribute to resource scarcity by 2020.”
She added, "Participation and commitment from the channel is paramount in getting programs like ReStart off the ground and adding consolidators, like E.J. Welch, allows us to make the program available for more and more people throughout North America."
For more information, visit tarkettna.com.
