Weaving a sustainable future.
Jacobsen are constantly searching for new products to make our offerings more sustainable. This means carefully selecting products not only for the materials they are produced with, but also considering their production process, longevity, and performance. Too many products on the market are made from virgin, non-renewable materials and recycled into yet another single-use product. We prioritise sourcing products that are made from materials designed to be reclaimed at the end of their life and recycled into the same quality product, creating a truly circular economy.
Our key suppliers, Tarkett and Shaw Contract, have introduced new carpet collections made from yarns that can be infinitely recycled, with take-back programmes to ensure that at the end of life, these products are returned to production.
Tarkett is fully closing the life cycle of commercial carpet tiles in Europe in partnership with Aquafil, the manufacturer of Econyl®.
Econyl® yarn is made from nylon waste such as old fishnets, used textiles, and old carpets, preventing them from ending up in landfills.
Tarkett has developed a solution to separate the principal components of carpet tiles; yarn and backing, while retaining more than 95% yarn purity.
This purity is vital to ensure that the polyamide 6 (PA6) is transformed into regenerated Econyl® yarn. With Aquafil buying back the post-use PA6 yarn from Tarkett to create its regenerated Econyl® yarn, this partnership is going full circle.
As a result, one of their latest collections, Desso x Patricia Urquiola carpet tile, has a total recycled content of 60.7% and a carbon footprint (Module A-D) of 1.03kg CO2/M2 if returned to Tarkett at the end of its life. This is a significant achievement compared to an average carpet that has 25% recycled content and a total carbon footprint of around 12kg CO2/M2.
Shaw Contract also uses nylon 6 yarn called EcoSolution Q100™, a high-performance 100% recycled content nylon fibre. Every square yard of Shaw Contract EcoWorx flooring with EcoSolution fibre reduces the carbon impact by 42% when compared to traditional carpet tiles.
They have also developed a closed-loop process of collecting old carpets (regardless of the yarn).
Since 2006, Shaw has reclaimed and recycled over 450 million kgs of carpet, including EcoWorx, through their re[TURN]® Reclamation Programme.
By focusing on durability and products that are fit for purpose, we aim to minimise the need for frequent replacements, reducing environmental and cost impact. We believe that sustainability and longevity go hand in hand to create a positive long-term impact on our environment.