Innovation and product management Sustainable product alternatives

GSC criterion: innovation and product management / sustainable product alternatives

For us, the ecological impact along the value chain is key first and foremost, which is why we have been providing information on the ecological footprint of products through environmental product declarations (EPDs) since 2013. These provide information on global warming potential, stratospheric ozone depletion potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone formation potential, abiotic elemental resource use, and abiotic fossil resource use. These EPDs are currently available for all flooring types: laminate flooring, multilayer engineered wood flooring and design flooring.

Furthermore, we have carried out several funding projects in the context of resource efficiency in recent years. These help us to explore further potential in reducing our environmental impact. The social impacts of products have not been specifically investigated to date, but are indirectly taken into consideration for wood-based flooring, e.g., through FSC™ (FSC™ C018498) certification. We are also developing a suitable eco-efficiency method with an external partner in order to integrate ecological aspects as well economic ones into product development. Furthermore, we have developed checklists in product development to anchor the principles of eco-design in the various stages of the product life cycle.

Along the value chain, we work actively with partners to recycle, among other things, profiling waste that cannot be used in our own production. This is a major challenge due to the rapidly changing conditions on the demand side.