iQ Natural flooring,

We design our products with Circular Economy principles in mind. And eco-design is also about selecting the right raw materials.

The next generation of iQ Natural brings a major innovation in that regard, being the world’s first floor with bio-attributed vinyl – Biovyn™ -substituting 100% of fossil feedstock by renewable biomass, made under the principles of mass-balance. This biomass comes from wood residue not competing with food production.

Bio-attribution means that a material is attributed an amount of bio-based feedstock according to mass balance principles. It is manufactured in a production system using biomass in parallel with fossil feedstock. During production the two feedstocks are mixed in the system, and the bio based part is “attributed” to a specific final product. The attribution through the whole supply chain is certified by a third party, the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), to ensure the sustainability and credibility of the finished product.

Mass balance principles enable a ‘green transition’ within existing production infrastructure – without requiring resource intensive development of new production facilities – and is an essential tool to accelerate the green transition now.

For each square metre used, iQ Natural contributes to the transition from fossil to renewable raw materials – taking one step further towards a circular, carbon-neutral society. And still the technical and maintenance properties remain on the same high level of excellence.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), a globally recognized independent sustainability standard, certifies both the new raw material we use to produce iQ Natural (BiovynTM ) and iQ Natural itself. RSB is recognised to be a world trusted, peer-reviewed, international sustainability standard for the sustainable production of bio-based and advanced materials and fuels, and biomass. We have collaborated closely with RSB during the development of iQ Natural, to independently verify commitment to delivering socially and environmentally sustainable products. iQ Natural is the first flooring to achieve RSB certification.

Decarbonising production means a change in the energy-consumption model. This is a key driver in fighting climate change.

Our plant in Ronneby, Sweden, that produces iQ Natural, has been using fossil free electricity for many years.

During 2019 major investments were also made to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels for process heat production. Two oil burners were replaced by electric ones which will give an estimated reduction of GHG with almost 4000 tons CO2 annually, that is saving 849 passenger vehicles driven for one year or 4000 return trips between Paris and New York by plane.

The very few remaining GHG emissions connected to the production of iQ Natural (9 tons) will be offset through REDD+ projects* supporting the TAMBOPATA Reserve.

This makes the production of iQ Natural carbon neutral.
 

^{* Tarkett supports the Tambopata-Bahuaja Biodiversity Reserve to raise awareness of REDD+ projects and take action on climate change and increase biodiversity, as well as support responsible agriculture and social fairness.}

We strive with dedication to become a fully circular company; where waste is used as a resource.

Recycling is a cornerstone of circular transition, as it is an efficient way to save resources, reduce waste and avoid greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, it is less energy intensive to transform existing materials rather than to produce them from scratch using virgin raw materials.

Through Tarkett’s ReStart® take-back and recycling program we operate systems all over Europe where offcuts from installation of vinyl floors are collected and sent to our recycling centres.

Furthermore, to effectively recycle post-use vinyl floors, Tarkett Ronneby, in Sweden, where iQ Natural is manufactured, has recently launched an innovative industrial cleaning method. It allows used floors to be cleaned from glue and concrete residues, and then turned into vinyl granules of the same quality as virgin raw materials.

We designed our iQ flooring with recyclability in mind and are actively closing the circuits and loops with this next generation