Solon, Ohio—Tarkett, a leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, released its 2023 Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility (CSR) Report. Fully audited by an independent third party, this report outlines the company’s significant sustainability accomplishments and leadership.
“Our sustainability performance over the past year contributes actively to Tarkett’s ambition: to be the easiest, the most innovative and the most sustainable flooring and sports surfaces company to work for and to work with,” said Fabrice Barthélemy, CEO of Tarkett. “As part of our climate roadmap, we have successfully reduced our greenhouse gas emissions at our production sites by 47% in the last four years notably through improved energy efficiency and sourcing renewable electricity. I am also very proud that we have increased the proportion of women in management positions throughout 2023, well in line with our 2025 target.”
In early 2023, Tarkett’s climate roadmap was approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). CDP, recognized as the gold standard of environmental reporting, granted Tarkett’s climate action with a leadership level A- score. Tarkett is the only flooring and sports surfaces manufacturer to reach such a high level of maturity in 2023. Moreover, the sustainability rating agency EcoVadis awarded a Gold Medal to Tarkett and ranked the company among the top two percent of all 100,000 rated organizations in 175 countries.
“In 2023, Tarkett North America made significant progress toward establishing a circular economy where nothing goes to waste,” said Roxane Spears, vice president of sustainability for Tarkett North America. “Our latest CSR report exhibits Tarkett’s holistic approach to sustainability and acknowledgement that every step of our approach matters. Through a combination of our own internal innovations and partnerships with experts in other industries and disciplines, Tarkett is continually addressing and offering solutions to the complex sustainability challenges of our generation.”
Lower emissions
- In 2023, 44% of the company’s total energy consumption came from renewable energies, with 13 production sites sourcing 100% of their electricity from renewable energies, including the Chagrin Falls and Middlefield plants in Ohio. At the same time, Tarkett’s Scope 3 value chain emissions decreased by 14% vs. 2019.
- Tarkett limits upstream and downstream transportation in part through its local market presence and through local initiatives. Tarkett’s Chagrin Falls, Ohio plant implemented a trucking optimization project leading to annual savings of 223 tCO2 (calculated using the Environmental Defense Fund tool).
- Tarkett North America has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for committing to reduce portfolio-wide Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% within 10 years as part of the DOE’s Better Climate Challenge. Tarkett works with the DOE to share actionable best practices for carbon reduction, with the DOE providing technical assistance, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and a platform for Tarkett to demonstrate its commitment to being part of the solution to climate change.
Less waste
- In 2023, Tarkett used 154,000 tons of recycled materials as an alternative to virgin materials, which represents 18% of its raw materials used, with the goal of reaching 30% by 2030. This progress helps avoid 188,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions compared to the use of virgin primary raw materials. This is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 105,000 cars driven over the course of a year.
- Tarkett has made strong progress with ReStart, its take-back and recycling program, by transforming end-of-use flooring and recycled materials into new flooring products or diverting them to other industries as raw materials. In the last 13 years, the company has collected 119,000 tons of flooring through Restart. Last year in North America alone, Tarkett successfully diverted an estimated 1.5 million pounds (690 t) of post-use flooring to recycling, both in house and with external recycling partners.
- In 2023, Tarkett North America began sending returned or discontinued LVT collected as part of the ReStart program to a company in the automotive industry that uses ground LVT as a raw ingredient in their manufacturing process. This collaboration enables Tarkett to recycle 100% of the collected LVT.
- Within the Tarkett Sports Division, FieldTurf’s Goal Zero infill take-back program in North America helps divert job-site waste from landfill and facilitates its reuse and recycling. In 2023, 46 projects were completed, recovering old artificial turf and recycling 146 tons of materials. The Goal Zero program was strengthened by opening a new regeneration facility in Pennsylvania.
- The company is using low-carbon materials and sourcing recycled materials from several partners in different industries. In the U.S., Tarkett incorporates post-use polyvinyl butyral (PVB) recycled from laminated safety glass in car windshields, buildings, and solar panels. Post-consumer PVB has a carbon footprint that is 25 times lower than virgin PVB and accounts for 33% of the content used to make Tarkett’s ethos® Modular with Omnicoat Technology™, a high-quality carpet tile solution. From 2004 to 2023, Tarkett reused around 44,200 tons of PVB films from 45.3 million windshields.
Greater well-being
- Committed to not just meeting but exceeding the industry’s most stringent indoor air quality standards, 99% of Tarkett’s flooring solutions have low volatile organic compounds emission levels, ten times lower than the strictest world standards.
Supporting teams and local communities
- Tarkett has made further progress in supporting its teams and local communities. Committed to diversity and inclusion, the share of women in management positions reached 29% in 2023, very close to achieving its 2025 target of 30%.
- Since the launch of Tarkett Academy, 60,000 professionals and students have been trained as professional installers and in flooring installation techniques in nine countries. In North America, Tarkett continued to promote its Installation Certification Programs in 2023, which cover resilient flooring (vinyl and linoleum) and soft surface (with a focus on Powerbond hybrid carpet). The certification requires that participants pass both a written and hands-on test. To further promote these programs, the company has conducted “train the trainer” sessions with union trainers in North America.