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Foresight Design's Jason Philip recently spoke with Mary Cotey about Forbo Flooring's sustainability activities and flooring products.
Please describe Forbo’s products and what makes them different from alternatives in the market.
Forbo’s core productline is Marmoleum, a natural floor made from pine rosin, linseed oil, wood flour, and a small amount of limestone powder which is then calendered on to a natural jute backing. For color, we add environmentally-friendly pigments.
Is that the same as linoleum?
Yes, linoleum is a generic term and Marmoleum is the brand. All linoleums, however, are not created equal. For example, we add Tall oil, which gives us a 45% post-industrial recycled content. Tall oil is a byproduct of the Kraft Paper Industry. We take what would otherwise have gone into a landfill, and use it to make Marmoleum a better product with a lower environmental footprint.
How is Forbo’s flooring different from traditional flooring products?
We are a very environmentally-friendly transparent company. We are the only flooring manufacturer that publishes our product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the public. Basically, we measure the environmental impact of our products, from growing the flax for the linseed oil to the end of life and disposal of the product, which is often refered to as “cradle to grave”. All process elements are measured over a number of different environmental impact categories, such as global warming, natural resource depletion, toxicity, and waste. The LCA is independently done and third-party reviewed, and all is made available to the public —the good, the bad, and the ugly. This is the only way that a manufacturer can set goals for improvement, and we strive to do so all the time.
Can Forbo’s products be used with any type of floor? How do you educate about the performance, environmental, and other benefits of Forbo floors when customers might be used to carpet or other synthetic surfaces?
Correct application is everything. For example, we would never recommend using Marmoleum in an area with constant running and standing water such as in a school gym shower room. We do have other products that would be more appropriate. No matter what flooring is selected, it is imperative that it be appropriate for the application. Forbo does produce some vinyl flooring for uses where vinyl is the appropriate material, such as that shower room and in commercial kitchens. Our vinyls and Marmoleum are maintained almost identically to help keep it simple. We encourage the use of Green Seal cleaning products because Healthy High-performance Cleaning and Maintenance is one of our primary goals. It’s all about having an wonderful product, an excellent installation and a simple maintenance process.
| What else has Forbo done to reduce the entire company’s ecological footprint? | |
We keep trying to improve our environmental performance. For example, we use renewable power such as the wind power at our factory in Holland. We always try to recycle as much as possible. 100% of our factory scrap is recycled back into the process. Our Field to Field program works with farmers that grow the flax to use “best practices” such as no till methods, and proper crop rotation. We also divert all our North American scrap and roll ends, as well as job site scrap to produce compost, thus the term “field to field”. We have also offered a sample reuse program for several years. If I send ten samples to a designer and she only needs to keep one, then all she has to do is take the unused samples, put them in a self-address envelop supplied by Forbo and the samples will continue to be reused. |
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We have been recognized for a number of environmental quality standards and awards from groups around the world. Our environmental policies start in the boardroom and not the marketing department. We are constantly working to improve our performance. One of our major focuses is trying to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. We are, therefore, working with our suppliers on reducing the carbon footprint of our products through expanded use of renewable energy, and less dependency on fossil fuels. |
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How do Forbo’s European roots affect the company’s operations in the U.S. with regard to environmental protection?
Linoleum has been around for 150 years and was manufactured in the U.S. in the early 1900’s. When the U.S. became an oil-producing country, the linoleum plants closed because vinyl, an oil based product, could be made cheaper, faster, and in prettier printed designs and colors. Europe in contrast, did not have oil, therefore linoleum, made with natural linseed oil, continued to be manufactured there with continued success. Then, of course, came the big petroleum wake-up call.
Europe is very much ahead of us. Europe has fewer natural resources than the U.S. and therefore had to face the environmental truth sooner rather than later. Being a European company, we’ve definitely responded to the environmental wakeup call and embraced it. We have been utilizing good practices long before their popularity in the U.S. We like to call that “compliance plus”.
Who would you say is your typical customer? Are there any differences in how you speak to different sets of customers?
Most customers are the same in the fact that they are looking for a sustainable, durable, beautiful, easily maintained floor. We are attracting more customers who are concerned specifically about the environment and are drawn to the product due to that concern. Other customers choose us because the product has a proven history, and the fact that it’s green, is definitely an additional benefit. Durability and ease of maintenance also has a lot to do with customer interest.
Are they typically institutions or individuals remodeling their homes?
We have both commercial and residential interest. I have worked with many architects, designers and end-users looking at Marmoleum flooring for their hospital, school or place of business and at the same time asking me if they can put it in their kitchen, basement or family room. Many individuals are aware of the health issues related to poor indoor air quality and they are looking for ways to improve their work and home environment. Marmoleum is inherently anti-microbial and anti-static. It is also durable, comfortable, repairable, beautiful and easy to maintain. Utilizing green building materials and practices increases the value of a building. Europe, once again, is ahead of us in this practice. We are putting forth a lot of effort into educating and discovering what Europe has known and been practicing for quite some time. Marmoleum has earned Platinum certification to the SMART Sustainable Products Standard, which is the most robust third party certified sustainable standard in the market. There is really a lot to like about Marmoleum.
How do you talk about that certification with your customers?
Because this is fairly new, account executives will be given rigorous training on how to give a presentation on the SMART certification. This type of customer education is something that distinguishes us from our competitors. The SMART standard truly supports the use of the “triple bottom line” by using LCA data, looking at the human health impact, and a manufactures’ social responsibility.
Could you share anything else about Forbo’s vision for sustainability in the future?
Forbo is a very caring company. It cares about the environment, its clients and its employees. That caring begins at the top. Forbo will continue it’s environmental initiatives because as long as we live and breath on this planet, there will always room for improvement. We have a wonderful product, Marmoleum, that is environmentally friendly in itself as well as in the way it is manufactured. Since the product is meant to last 30+ years, I will continue to focus a lot on installation and maintenance to help ensure that 30+ year lifetime. Due to building products and practices continually changing, there is a lack of education in the market. Unfortunately, this can lead to problems with installation. I have and will continue to address substrate moisture problems, job site conditions, and other factors that can affect the performance and therefore, the lifetime of our products. Forbo started the Master Mechanic program for installers to help insure specifiers and end users that they will receive a good quality installation. My goal if for Forbo clients to have that 30+ plus year floor that we say it can be.
