Pergo first to receive eu ecolabel for laminate flooring

Pergo flooring, owned by UNILIN, division flooring, part of Mohawk Group, is the first flooring manufacturer to receive the much-coveted EU Ecolabel for its direct pressure laminate (DPL) flooring. Pergo laminate flooring and Pergo Parquet already have the Nordic Swan label. By adding the EU Ecolabel to its standard-produced Pergo laminates, the manufacturer delivers on its promise to produce healthy, sustainable flooring while also further strengthening its market position.

Introduced in 1992 by the European Commission, the EU Ecolabel is a label of environmental excellence that is awarded to products and services meeting high ecological standards throughout their life cycles: from raw materials extraction to production, distribution, and disposal. The criteria for the Ecolabel are set by a number of stakeholders, including NGOs, governments, industry, academia, and consumer groups. Intended to guide and inform consumers about a product’s impact on health and environment, there’s an EU Ecolabel for a variety of products and services.

Beyond legal requirements

At the end of January 2017, the EU Ecolabel for wood, cork and bamboo-based floor coverings was revised to include laminate flooring. This voluntary label goes far beyond legal requirements. For example, in the case of chemicals, the EU Ecolabel strictly prohibits certain chemicals, or the corresponding limit values are much lower than required under applicable laws.

“Our vision has always been to create beautiful, convenient, quality products in a sustainable way. It’s the reason we focus on reducing our ecological footprint and establishing a circular economy. Being the first flooring manufacturer to receive the revised Ecolabel certificate is a recognition of our sustainability efforts over the past couple of years.”

Tino Mulle, CSO at UNILIN, division flooring

To qualify for an EU Ecolabel certification, flooring manufacturers need to:

• Use materials that are produced in a sustainable way;
• Meet specific criteria based on the product life cycle approach;
• Lower energy consumption for production;
• Significantly limit the use of hazardous compounds;
• Restrict levels of hazardous residues;
• Limit contribution to indoor air pollution;
• Promote durable and high-quality products.

Towards a circular economy

The EU Ecolabel is one of the most practical tools to promote the circular economy in the EU Single Market. For Pergo, sustainable sourcing and disposal has and will always be a focal point in its activities. Pergo flooring strictly adheres to the following principles:

• Cascading is used as a basis for the circular economy: Pergo aims to keep wood in the materials cycle as long as possible by using by-products of wood waste as raw material. The company believes wood can only be used for energy purposes once no further recycling is possible.
• Avoiding carbon debt (the difference between the CO2 emitted and the CO2 absorbed by newly planted trees over time) by prolonging the life cycle of wood. It takes a tree 40 years to absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide. Adding life cycles to wood allows a new tree to capture carbon dioxide before the harvested tree releases its carbon dioxide.
• Thinking globally by closing the logistics circle locally: Pergo locally sources its raw materials as much as possible. Nearly all wood sources are located within a radius of 400 kilometres.
• Producing durable floors with long life cycles.