Calhoun, Ga.—Mohawk Industries has released its 2017 Sustainability Report online, which outlines how business decisions rooted in corporate social responsibility have resulted in great dividends for the company, its customers, employees and communities. This year’s report, unified under a message that showcases how Mohawk is committed to “Believe in Better,” details how the company is driving innovation through more thoughtful product design and manufacturing.
“At Mohawk, believing in better translates into countless actions that deliver better results for our customers and our planet, including innovative products and sustainable processes,” said Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk’s chairman and CEO. “Believing in better encompasses safety, wellness and training programs that help our associates lead healthier, more fulfilling lives as well as partnerships in our communities that improve the quality of life for area residents. We lead the industry in sustainability, and we are constantly seeking new opportunities to make a difference.”
The report reinforces Mohawk’s continued progress in doing more with less and its intent on growing its global business while reducing its environmental footprint. In 2017 alone, the company recycled 6.5 billion pounds of waste, 6.2 billion plastic bottles, 146 million pounds of foam trim into carpet cushion and 42 million pounds of rubber tires into welcome mats. Since 2015, Mohawk has reduced its water consumption by 442 million gallons, even as the company grew through eight acquisitions. Since 2010, the company has reduced its greenhouse gas intensity by 5%, energy intensity by 4.61% and water intensity by 36%, all while doubling its business.
“As Mohawk continues to grow, we are doing so in a responsible way with an emphasis on being good stewards in our communities, using resources wisely and well and providing a positive and empowering workplace for our people,” Lorberbaum added. “We know that sustainability is good business, and our successes are a testimony to our company-wide commitment to environmental and social responsibilities.”
The Sustainability Report highlights Mohawk’s sizeable commitment to a circular economy from start to finish. Mohawk uses significant post-consumer content as raw materials, transforming them into flooring. Quick-Step laminate planks, for example, are made with 74% recycled content. Glass is melted down from bottles, jars and windows to be molded into shimmering new Daltile mosaic tiles. PET plastic bottles are repurposed into pellets that are then turned into fiber used in Mohawk’s EverStrand carpeting. Innovative programs like ReCover help divert end-of-lifecycle carpet from the landfill, giving new life to flooring products.
The report also outlines how the company is actively working to achieve green building designations while also manufacturing products that help customers achieve their sustainability goals, including: Air.o, EcoFlex Matrix,Lichen and virtual reality.
“Our residential and commercial customers are taking note, and their impressions directly correlate with the businesses they decide to support,” said George Bandy Jr., Mohawk’s vice president of sustainability and commercial marketing. “At Mohawk, we have looked at ourselves holistically and introspectively to make our own path to deliver sustainable solutions as we seek to leave more handprints than footprints for Mother Nature.”
Mohawk’s 2017 Sustainability Report is available online at MohawkSustainability.com.