Mohawk Industries 2016 Sustainability Report Highlights How The Company Leverages Innovation To Push The Boundaries Of Sustainability

CALHOUN, Ga., April 24, 2017 /CNW/ -- The 2016 Sustainability Report released by Mohawk Industries online today paints a comprehensive picture of the company's innovation, passion and commitment to a better tomorrow and illustrates once again why the world's largest flooring company is also the industry leader in sustainable technology.

"In 2016, our company enjoyed a record year, but our financial results are only one measure of our success," said Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk's chairman and CEO. "Today, as the world's largest flooring company, we also assess our performance by the significant and positive impact we make through all aspects of our business. Our sustainability practices reflect the commitment of our company and the passion of our people. We continue to push the boundaries of sustainability with innovative new products and processes because we believe in—and are willing to invest in—a better tomorrow."

In 2016 alone, process improvements, product re-engineering and equipment upgrades positively impacted Mohawk's productivity by $140 million. "The depth of these savings reflects hundreds of unique projects across the enterprise, most of which deliver environmental benefits—from state-of-the-art equipment that's less energy intensive to improved freight logistics that reduce carbon emissions to paperless sales and administrative processes that save time and eliminate waste," Lorberbaum said.

The report notes Mohawk's progress in corporate responsibility and sustainability. The company:

• Recycles 7.1 billion pounds of waste a year.
• Has reduced its use of water by 277 million gallons since 2015.
• Since 2010, has reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity by 12.8%, its energy intensity by 1.9% and its water intensity by 35%.
• Recycles 5.4 billion plastic bottles annually.
• Recycles 25 million pounds of tires into doormats.

Many of Mohawk's achievements in sustainability come from the company's continuous—and inventive—journey to decrease the environmental footprint of its products and operations. The report details an environmentally friendly approach to cooling water at Mohawk's vinyl flooring plant in Belgium; how the Glasgow, Virginia carpet tile plant is tackling the global pollinator crisis; and a mobile material recycler that can process up to 30 tons of scrap material per hour for ceramic tile plants in Tennessee, Alabama and Texas.

The report also highlights Mohawk's sizeable product portfolio that leads the industry in sustainable technology. Mohawk is the world's largest ceramic tile producer, and more than 450 of the company's beautiful and durable tile products—ceramic, porcelain and mosaic—contain pre- and post-consumer recycled content. Similarly, as the largest laminate flooring manufacturer in the U.S. and Europe, Mohawk's products are made with predominantly recycled wood fiber and chips from sustainable sources. In commercial flooring, Mohawk Group has the industry's largest portfolio of Red List-free products.

Notable innovative sustainable solutions in Mohawk's portfolio include:

• Airo: Introduced in late 2016, Mohawk's exclusive new soft floor covering category with unified backing is manufactured almost entirely from recycled polyester and is already winning awards for design and innovation. Airo reduces the physical stress on installers with its ease and speed of installation, provides long-lasting performance for consumers, contributes to a healthy home and can be completely recycled at the end of its life cycle.
• SmartStrand: Because soft, stain-resistant SmartStrand carpets are made with renewably sourced polymers, they require less energy to manufacture than other fibers.
• EverStrand: Mohawk is one of the largest recyclers of PET soda and water bottles in the country, and billions of those bottles end up in Mohawk's EverStrand carpets. EverStrand carpets minimize the need for fossil fuels and help reduce plastic in landfills.
• Moduleo: Every year, Mohawk's IVC vinyl manufacturing group reclaims up to 20,000 tons of PVC materials destined for landfills—and transforms  the material into the backing for beautiful Moduleo luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring.

"People spend about 90 percent of our time inside, so we as a company have a responsibility to ensure our products are contributing to healthy, productive, inspirational spaces," said George Bandy, Mohawk's vice president of sustainability. "Constantly working toward a better version of ourselves is a significant part of Mohawk's DNA. This idea fuels our breakthroughs across our five pillars: design, innovation, sustainability, project solutions and operational excellence. From our new Light Lab Design Center in Northwest Georgia, which earned the state of Georgia's first Living Building Challenge Petal certification from the International Living Future Institute, to our manufacturing plants around the world, we understand and embrace that better is always possible."

Mohawk's 2016 Sustainability Report is available exclusively online at www.mohawksustainability.com.

About Mohawk

Mohawk Industries is a leading global flooring manufacturer that creates products to enhance residential and commercial spaces around the world. Mohawk's vertically integrated manufacturing and distribution processes provide competitive advantages in the production of carpet, rugs, ceramic tile, laminate, hardwood, stone and vinyl flooring. Our industry-leading innovation has yielded products and technologies that differentiate our brands in the marketplace and satisfy all remodeling and new construction requirements. Our brands are among the most recognized in the industry and include Mohawk, American Olean, Daltile, Durkan, IVC, Karastan, Marazzi, Pergo, Unilin and Quick-Step. During the past decade, Mohawk has transformed its business from an American carpet manufacturer into the world's largest flooring company with operations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

SOURCE Mohawk Industries

Melissa Stocks, 678.499.8881, [email protected]