The spaces where people learn, create, and come together to solve our greatest challenges have a significant impact on human experience. In all of our products and processes, we ask ourselves, “how can we minimize our impact on the environment and maximize human potential?” At Shaw, we are perpetually taking the next step forward, across every element of our sustainability strategy. Starting with the human element.
On average, people spend 90 percent of their time indoors. Interior spaces are where great thinkers innovate, students learn, patients heal, champions train, and families come together. So, we take seriously our responsibility to help make these spaces as sustainable as possible.
Material Health
Almost 90 percent of the products Shaw manufacturers are Cradle to Cradle Certified™. It’s a commitment we made more than 20 years ago with the introduction of the first Cradle to Cradle Certified™ flooring product - EcoWorx® backed carpet tile. And as an enterprise, we have the most certified product platforms of anyone in the flooring industry. Our products have the sustainability stamp of approval from GREENGUARD, CRI Green Label Plus, FloorScore, and NSF 140, among numerous others.
To further support our transparency efforts, we also maintain Health Product Declarations (HPDs) for all commercial carpet products and Living Building Challenge (LBC) Compliant Declare labels for EcoWorx® tile products.
Product End of Life
In looking for ways to minimize our impact on the planet, we consistently strive to use materials that can most easily return to earth or industry. An industry leader in the reclamation and recycling of end-of-use carpet, Shaw is committed to embracing a more circular economy. Since 2006, we have reclaimed and recycled almost 1 billion pounds of post-consumer carpet.
RE[TURN]™ Reclamation Program
As a company, we have a long standing commitment to sustainability, and since 2006 have reclaimed almost 1 billion pounds of carpet. We believe creating products that can be recycled (and building the infrastructure to reclaim and recycle them) is critical to creating a new, circular economy - one in which valuable materials never become waste.
Renewable Energy and Carbon Management
The renewable energy criteria of Cradle to Cradle product certification ensures products are manufactured using clean, renewable energy so that the impact of climate changing greenhouse gases due to manufacturing is reduced or eliminated.
All of our commercial carpet manufacturing facilities worldwide are 100% carbon neutral.
We achieved this in a multi-step approach -- from investments in energy reduction & efficiency in our facilities (CHP), to on-site renewable energy systems (like our solar array), and lastly, the purchase of certified Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) & verified Carbon Offsets.
