Living the Cradle to Cradle, by DESSO
12 November 2008
Leading European carpet manufacturer, DESSO has announced earlier this year that they are going beyond sustainability to a far more radical environmental programme: 'Cradle to Cradle'. The company is the first carpet manufacturer in EMEA to implement the idea that everything in the manufacturing cycle should be based on Cradle to Cradle principles.
DESSO has initiated industry-leading policies at every stage of its manufacturing process, which will result in products being either completely biodegraded or recycled to provide raw materials for new goods. Waste recycling in its factories now exceeds 90%, and the company has launched a pioneering project reclaiming carpet from customers to be reprocessed.
'Cradle to Cradle' takes its inspiration from nature, where everything is reborn again and again. DESSO aims to replicate this process across its full range of carpet, creating continuous cycles of both biological and technical 'nutrients'. At the end of their useful lives, carpet components will be reused, redeployed.
In march 2008, the company has entered into a partnership with the Hamburg-based Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA - http://www.epea.com ), the brainchild of one of the 'Cradle to Cradle' concept's co-founders, Professor Dr Michael Braungart, and is working towards formal certification.
Stef Kranendijk, DESSO CEO, says: ''The 'Cradle to Cradle' cycle is especially challenging in an industry like ours, where millions of square metres of worn out carpet are potentially thrown away every year. But this is precisely why it is so important that we adopt this advanced approach - rather than simply complying with current environmental legislation. By sourcing sustainable raw materials, introducing new manufacturing methods and collecting used carpets from clients we are getting closer to completing the cycle.''
For more information on Cradle to Cradle, please download our brochure.
