Desso Using Water Company Waste in Carpet Tile

Waalwijk, The Netherlands, Nov. 11, 2014 -- Carpet company Desso said it is using chalk from local water companies to make its products.

In collaboration with Reststoffenunie, an association of drinking water companies in the Netherlands, Desso said it has found a way to upcycle re-engineered calcium carbonate (chalk) from local drinking water companies.

The chalk positively meets Cradle to Cradle critera and is used for the production of Desso's carpet tiles with EcoBase backing, which is C2C Silver certified and 100% recyclable in Desso’s own production process.

The result of this new innovation is that Desso’s products with EcoBase backing will now contain, on average, 50% recycled content.

“This new development is a hugely exciting step forward in our vision to become a Cradle to Cradle company developing products that meet high standards of creativity, functionality and are also positive to human health and the planet,” says Alexander Collot d’Escury, CEO of Desso.
 
Desso said it is the first carpet company in the world to use the upcycled calcium carbonate, co-created by Desso’s R&D team and its partners in the water industry. It expects to draw as much as 20,000 ton of chalk from the waste stream.