Tarkett expands sustainability, design teams
Tarkett, a global leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, recently expanded its sustainability team, evidence of its ongoing commitment to environmentally responsible products and operations. Tarkett has long been a model of sustainable practices within the flooring industry, having introduced the first full-scale flooring recycling program in 1994 and having removed all ortho-phthalates from its products while others were still debating phthalate safety.
The additions to the sustainability team include Rachel Palopoli, director of circular economy, and Rachel Berkin, sustainability product manager.
As director of circular economy, Palopoli will oversee the Tarkett take-back program, ReStartÂź, which has collected over 112,000 tons of vinyl, linoleum and carpet globally since 2010. With more than 20 years of recycling experience, Palopoli will evaluate and establish take-back pathways for each product type, as well as evaluate internal waste streams.
âWe need to make sure we are leading with the end in mind, designing products that can be recycled at the end of their lives so that we protect and preserve our planet for future generations,â she said. âOne of my goals is to collaborate across all divisions to ensure that we are leading with sustainability on all fronts.â
Whereas Palopoli will focus on productsâ end-life, Berkin will help uphold the rigorous sustainability standards Tarkett has set throughout product conception. This includes facilitating the implementation of healthy materials, product certifications and related processes, working with both internal and external partners.
âEngaging with our sales team and clients is an imperative part of the process to ensure we are exceeding the industryâs sustainability expectations,â Berkin said. âI am proud to work with a company that is deeply committed to corporate sustainability, transparency and setting strong sustainability targets.â
Tarkett announced in September its Climate Roadmap for 2030, which includes a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent across its entire value chain by 2030âin full alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement objective to limit global warming to 1.5°C. To provide full visibility into these efforts, Tarkett has been evaluated and assessed by the independent organization Science Based Targets (SBTi) to confirm its reduction targets, which includes emissions from its own activities (Scope 1) and its purchased energy (Scope 2)âas well as those arising from the rest of its value chain, from suppliers to end customers (Scope 3).
Over the last decade, Tarkett has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 38 percent (Scope 1 and 2) through a combination of renewable electricity, closed-loop water systems and the responsible sourcing of raw materials, and is now accelerating that progress under the 2030 Climate Roadmap. The company recently achieved an A- score by CDP, representing the second highest level of maturity a company can reach at the worldâs leading climate performance platform.
In addition to sustainability, Tarkett has also taken recent steps to further elevate design at the forefront of product development. Since September, Omoleye Simmons has led these efforts as vice president of design for the companyâs commercial business, a newly created role to demonstrate Tarkettâs commitment to leading the industry in on-trend flooring solutions for any space.
In February, Simmons welcomed the addition of Rachelle Roberts as director of design for soft surface. In her role, Roberts will be responsible for directing the design development of impactful soft-surface products. Along with several key design initiatives, Roberts will collaborate with the entire product design team to develop coordinated flooring solutions for all market segments, focusing heavily on education, workplace and senior living environments.
By emphasizingâand intersectingâsustainability and design, Tarkett is positioned as one of the industryâs leading innovators, offering solutions designed with both people and the planet in mind across a variety of segments.
To learn more about Tarkettâs product offerings, visit tarkett.com. For more on the companyâs sustainability initiatives, visit contract.tarkett.com/proofineverystep.
About Tarkett
With a history of more than 140 years, Tarkett is a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, generating net sales of ⏠3.4 billion in 2022. The Group employs 12,000 employees and has 25 R&D centers, 8 recycling centers and 34 production sites. Tarkett creates and manufactures solutions for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores and sports fields, serving customers in over 100 countries. To build âThe Way to Better Floors,â the Group is committed to circular economy and sustainability, in line with its Tarkett HumanâConscious DesignÂź approach.
Visit www.tarkett.com (North America) or www.tarkett-group.com (Global)
Proof in Every Step
For years, Tarkett has raised the sustainability standards of the flooring industry. It purposefully designs floors with total transparency to create healthier, safer spaces for both people and planet. When Tarkett floors reach their end of life, the company’s ReStartŸ program makes it possible for them to be repurposed or recycled. Tarkettâs near-term science-based carbon emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and are fully aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement objective to limit global warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius. For more information, visit https://contract.tarkett.com/proofineverystep.
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