Desso Shortlisted For Business Green Leaders Awards 2015

WAALWIJK, The Netherlands, April 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Desso, a leading carpets and sport pitches company (part of Tarkett) has been shortlisted for the second year running for the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2015, organised by BusinessGreen.com, the leading UK information source for the green economy. 

Now in its fifth year, the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards celebrates leading businesses, executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and campaigners from across the green economy, highlighting how they are driving the emergence of innovative and sustainable new business models and technologies.

Desso, shortlisted for the Waste and Recycling category, has showcased its innovative development of a new Cradle to Cradle^® material stream to support its ongoing commitment to the circular economy.

Through collaborative development with local water companies, Desso discovered a more sustainable alternative to purchasing calcium carbonate, a material used as a stabilizer in its carpet tiles. The processes for softening water (making it suitable for drinking and for use in home appliances) produces a residue of calcium carbonate. The challenge then was to develop a way to prepare this material in the right form for Desso's processes. In collaboration with Restoffenunie, a collective shared service centre of the Dutch Water Supply Companies, Desso found an innovative way to upcycle re-engineered calcium carbonate into Desso's carpet tiles. The award entry shows how Desso shifted to using the residual stream of calcium carbonate from local water producers instead of purchasing it from mining companies in France.

Roland Jonkhoff, Managing Director of Desso says: "We are delighted that our commitment to developing healthy Cradle to Cradle^® material streams is being recognised in this way. It demonstrates the power of cross-industry collaboration and innovation in paving the way for better and more sustainable supply chains and products."

Desso is the first carpet company in the world to use the upcycled calcium carbonate and expects eventually to draw as much as 20,000 tonnes of chalk from this source per year.  Already, in the first year, it will receive 10,000-12,000 tonnes via this route - over half of its total needs.

Finalists for the BusinessGreen Leaders awards will be announced on 1^st July in London (http://events.businessgreen.com/leadersawards/static/home).

About DESSO^® 

Desso, a Tarkett company, is a leading carpets, carpet tiles and sport pitches business, active in more than 100 countries. Its products are supplied to corporate offices, education, healthcare, government, homes and also hotels, cruise liners, airlines and premier football clubs. Desso's mission is to develop unique products that deliver a much improved indoor environment, helping to maximise people's health and wellbeing. This is driven by the company's innovation programme based on the three pillars of Creativity, Functionality and Cradle to Cradle^® design which underpins the shift to the regenerative circular economy. http://www.desso.com

About Tarkett 

Tarkett is a global leader in innovative and sustainable solutions for flooring and sports surfaces. With a wide range of products including vinyl, linoleum, carpet, rubber, wood & laminate, synthetic turf and athletic tracks, the Group serves customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. With 12,000 employees and 34 industrial sites, Tarkett sells 1.3 million square meters of flooring every day for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores and sports fields. Committed to sustainable development, the Group has implemented an eco-innovation strategy and promotes the shift to the circular economy. Tarkett's net sales of 2.4 billion euros in 2014 are balanced between Europe, North America and the region comprising CIS countries, APAC & LATAM. Tarkett is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A, ticker TKTT, ISIN: FR0004188670) and is included in the following indices: SBF 120, CAC Mid 60, CAC Mid & Small, CAC All-Tradable http://www.tarkett.com.

SOURCE DESSO