Lancaster, Pa.—The California Product Stewardship Council has awarded Armstrong Commercial Flooring with the 2013 Infinity Award, in recognition for the company’s outstanding vinyl composition tile (VCT) flooring recycling program. The award was presented in Pasadena, Calif., recently during the 37th Annual Conference of the California Resource Recovery Association.
The Armstrong VCT Recycling Program is the first program of its kind to recycle Armstrong VCT flooring products as well as qualifying competitor VCT products. The program enables building owners to send VCT flooring tiles from projects undergoing renovation to an Armstrong recycling facility as an alternative to landfill disposal.
“This is the fourth year the California Product Stewardship Council has given awards to businesses for their leadership in product stewardship and the first year we have had the same parent company win the same award for two different take-back programs; ceiling tiles and flooring tiles,” said Heidi Sanborn, executive director, California Product Stewardship Council. “Armstrong’s commitment to cradle-to-cradle producer responsibility is unparalleled and makes them a national leader in product take-back and recycling systems.”
Under the program, VCT flooring is recycled in a closed-loop, post-consumer stream with reclaimed material incorporated into new flooring products. Since 2009, Armstrong has successfully reclaimed and recycled over four million pounds of post-consumer VCT, representing 2,000 tons of diverted landfill material. Armstrong has regional recycling facilities in California, Illinois, and Mississippi.
The California Stewardship Infinity Arrow Award for Service and Take Back recognizes businesses that are based in or operate in California for outstanding leadership and innovation in product stewardship and green design. Armstrong has been manufacturing flooring tile in South Gate, Calif., since 1938 and is committed to waste reduction and sustainable manufacturing processes.