Dalton—The Mohawk Group has issued its first Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its EcoFlex ICT modular commercial floor covering. EPDs present relevant environmental information about specific products in a comprehensive standardized format according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) guidelines. The internationally recognized EPD also provides independent third-party verification of a product’s environmental characteristics.
“Sustainability is on our minds every single day, not only in how we make our products, but also how we support our customers in their sustainability goals,” said Rochelle Routman, director of sustainability, Mohawk Group. “EPDs are a third-party validated format for communicating the environmental impacts of a product. Our customers need this information, and so do we. We all benefit. In the spirit of transparency and environmental leadership, this is the first of several EPDs that we will be issuing. We’re already identifying other product lines, which will be added to our EPD portfolio.”
Mohawk Group’s extensive EPD for EcoFlex ICT flooring include product definition and information about building physics; basic material; material origin; product manufacture; product processing; in-use conditions; testing verifications; and life cycle assessment (LCA) results. The LCA measures the total environmental impact created by products from its birth, or the initial sourcing of raw material, through production and use to final disposal.
For the EcoFlex ICT flooring EPD, a “cradle-to-grave” LCA was conducted to provide the most accurate and complete portrayal of total energy and water use, material consumption, emissions and waste generation. The analysis followed LCA methodology guidelines laid out in the ISO standards, as well as in the EN 15804 standard for construction products.
“Mohawk Group’s EPD presents exhaustive, unbiased research and certified documentation from renowned organizations in order to solidify our customer’s trust and confidence in our sustainable products,” said Routman.
The EcoFlex ICT is a high-performance commercial modular floor covering. The EcoFlex ICT Gold platform consists of various styles, colors and patterns made with a nylon pile fiber layer and EcoFlex ICT recycled content backing.