DESSO Origin
Innovation overview and development
An overview of the sustainable innovation
Closed-loop systems do away with linear take-make-waste models, ensuring that what goes around, comes around. For Tarkett, circularity is about the used and reused materials that go into their products, the innovative manufacturing processes that turn discarded components into the start of something new whilst actively cutting down on waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Tarkett’s motto is “Doing good for people and the planet”, which means taking real steps to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming – in opposition to shortcuts such as offsetting.
When it comes to carpet tiles, Tarkett’s circular approach enables them to do just that. They are currently the only carpet tile manufacturer with a closed-loop recycling system in Europe, limiting the use of virgin raw materials for new products, and avoiding common, carbon-emitting options such as incineration and landfill at products end-of-life.
Backing and yarn. That’s what it mainly comes down to: two simple components that are put together just as neatly as they may later be taken apart through our patented and unique recycling process. DESSO Origin’s fully recyclable carpet tiles are manufactured using 100% green energy.
The backing: EcoBase 100% recyclable Cradle to Cradle Gold-certified™ carpet tile backing is made from polyolefin granulates and contains on average 80% recycled chalk from the local drinking water industry in the Netherlands where the tiles are manufactured.
The yarn: Polyamide 6 (PA6) ECONYL®, a 100% regenerated nylon yarn developed from nylon waste such as discarded fishing nets.
Once disassembled, old makes way for new. Used backing is shredded, then reformed into polyolefin granulates to create new EcoBase backing. The yarn is separated from their backing, PA6 ECONYL® yarn is recycled, regenerated and reintegrated within new carpet tiles.
Tarkett recognizes that they are responsible for the full life cycle of every material they work with. This in mind, the company developed their take-back and recycling program, ReStart®, making it possible to take back post-consumer carpet tiles, close the loop, recycled yarn and backing without loss of quality, all the while complying with stringent health and environmental standards.
Recycling EcoBase-backed carpet tiles with ECONYL® yarn delivers up to 84% CO2 savings compared to incineration.
How the innovation was developed, including effective collaboration, knowledge transfer and partnership along the project team
Research shows that people spend 90% of their time indoors. Tarkett’s mission is to help create healthier, safer indoor spaces that are people-friendly through high-quality, sustainable flooring products. In particular, by continuously improving the health and environment credentials of their products, Tarkett strive to select materials that can be recovered, recycled and transformed into new products.
Tarkett’s decades of materials research and technical expertise mean they have the ability to be truly circular, from extraction and manufacturing through product use and end-of-life, then back again. It’s a cycle that brings Tarkett back to where it began: in Tarkett Human-Conscious Design, Tarkett’s commitment to create flooring that is good for people and for the planet. And to do it every day.
The collection is Cradle to Cradle Silver level certified, making it a truly circular product, it was designed to be disassembled so its components can be easily recycled into raw material for new carpet tiles. The result: a collection that combines technical expertise with tactility and textural beauty. For new, and renewed, beginnings.
Tarkett has developed breakthrough technology at its unique recycling centre facility in Waalwijk, Netherlands, by creating two streams of materials that can be recycled and transformed into high-quality resources for new products. The company is able to separate the two principal components of carpet tiles – yarn and backing, while retaining more than 95% yarn purity. This level of purity is vital in ensuring that the polyamide 6 (PA6) yarn can be recycled by Tarkett’s partner Aquafil and later transformed into regenerated ECONYL® nylon yarn.
Tarkett’s take-back and recycling programme, ReStart, makes it possible to close the loop, recycling yarn and backing without loss of quality, all the while complying with stringent health and environmental standards.
The use of new technologies, processes products or techniques or novel uses of existing ones
Once disassembled, old makes way for new. Tarkett recognize that they are responsible for the full life cycle of every material they work with. their take-back and recycling program, ReStart®, makes it possible to close the loop, recycling yarn and backing without loss of quality, all the while complying with stringent health and environmental standards.
The backing: Used backing is shredded, then reformed into polyolefin granulates to create new EcoBase backing. The yarn: Separated from their backing, PA6 ECONYL® yarn is recycled, regenerated and reintegrated within new carpet tiles.
When others see waste, Tarkett see opportunity. It’s why they work with their customers to take back and recycle flooring through their Restart programme and why they continue to work to maximise the recycled content in all of their products to prioritise end-of-life recycling. Preserving natural resources, reducing waste and their carbon footprint, all to give customers peace of mind when selecting products.
When reaching the end of its useful life as a carpet tile the DESSO Origin’s collection can be returned to Tarkett for full closed loop recycling at our carpet recycling centre via our ReStart take back programme, completely free of charge.
According to letsrecycle.com*, as of December 2021, companies can be paying on average anywhere between £93.00 & £125.00 per tonne to dispose of their waste at landfill or incineration outlets.
At an average weight of 4kg’s per sqm a typical 1000 sqm installation could save between £400-£500 on disposal costs.
How does the innovation provide a more environmentally friendly approach for the industry
Circular Economy is spoken about widely in today’s Sustainability agenda.
However, bringing it to life in the construction industry can be a challenge; Desso Origins eliminates that challenge with its closed loop recyclability credentials.
Whole Life Carbon is sometimes missed as a topic when specification is considered; however the recent shift of knowledge and focus has allowed Whole Life Carbon to be given much serious consideration – Desso Origins allows the specifier to be conscious surrounding all the key topics that are considered when specifying a sustainable floorcovering; of course the Lowest Circular Carbon Footprint branding is key – but the fact that Tarkett are able to take back via their own ReStart Recycling programme at end of life and make new Carpet Tiles changes the agenda and brings the Circular Economy to life.
How does the innovation provide an improvement in social value
In 2021, Tarkett collected a total of 677 tonnes of post-use carpet tiles through their ReStart scheme, all of which was sent to the Carpet Recycling Centre in Waalwijk, The Netherlands, the UK alone contributed 140 tonnes from their ReStart collections throughout the year.
With more than 85 years of experience in manufacturing high quality carpet tiles, Tarkett aim to deliver products that help people flourish and contribute to healthier spaces. Tarkett is the only carpet maker in Europe to have verified evidence of closing the loop on carpet tile production, as documented by their Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s) for EcoBase-backed tiles.
With regards to carbon emissions, DESSO Origins collection has the lowest circular carbon footprint * for a carpet tile in Europe: 1,40 kg CO2/m2 – one that is at least 6 times lower** than the total carbon footprint of Tarkett’s competitors. For clients and specifiers looking to deliver low carbon projects, this collection is the perfect option – especially for those who are looking to off-set any remaining carbon emissions.
* For EcoBase-backed carpet tiles with PA6 yarn, according to the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) S-P-05827 externally verified by Bureau Veritas, based on the total carbon footprint (Modules A-D) with a closed loop circular recycling scenario.
How does this innovation influence future specifications to improve sustainability
Desso Origins really is an influencer; verified by its EPD credentials. The lowest Circular Carbon Footprint in the industry for Carpet Tiles.
It changes the focus from what we have seen in our experience of just focusing on embodied carbon – whilst this is still important when dealing with flooring in the commercial world thousands and thousands of metres are sold everyday and we must give chance to choose a product that ticks all the Sustainability boxes when it comes to specification.
We are often asked for a low carbon product, that contains recycled content, that can be recycled at end of life, that can be recycled in our own facility, that the recycling scheme is efficient with supporting logistics to make it easy for the stakeholders involved; Desso Origins has this and now a product exists with these credentials it certainly will influence specifiers with other materials to ask the question of manufacturers.
Nothing is perfect just yet but we lead the way with Desso Origins and supporting the industry with such innovation leaves us in a good place to continue the trend in the future.