Cradle to Cradle Certificate for rubber flooring

© Daniel Vieser

© Julia Schambeck

Clothing that is compostable or devices and materials whose individual parts are made into a new object after their period of use? Cradle to Cradle has made it its mission to design and promote a potentially infinite circular economy. Also, nora systems, global market leader for rubber floor coverings, is committed to sustainable eco-efficiency in the flooring industry with its products. For this commitment, the entire standard range of the norament series has now received the Cradle to Cradle Silver certification from the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

The Path to Silver Certification

Thinking in complete product cycles from the very beginning so that no waste is produced in the conventional sense – this is the core of the principle. Products must be manufactured in such a way that all used materials can be reused or composted after use. During certification, various categories are examined and evaluated: material health of the ingredients used, recyclability of the product, use of renewable energy, responsible water management, and compliance with social standards. The assessment levels range from Basic to Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The lowest standard achieved in a category ultimately determines the overall grade of a product. “We consistently received Silver in all categories. And since there are hardly any products in the field of technical consumer goods that meet all criteria 100 percent, Silver – especially in the construction sector – is an above-average good result,” explains Dietmar Mävers, Business Development Manager at nora systems. “Furthermore, we have continuously developed our products and processes over the past years to contribute to sustainable value creation. The consistently high commitment across all areas has now paid off,” he adds.

noraplan Product Range to Follow

With norament 926 (Noppe), norament arago, norament grano, and norament satura, the entire standard range of the product series has been certified. “We are proud of this award and are pleased to provide our customers with another independent proof of the sustainability of our products. Certification of additional products is already underway. But we also want to continuously improve our processes. For example, at the beginning of the year, we switched our entire electricity supply to renewable energies,” says Mävers. The certification according to Cradle to Cradle not only recognizes the products themselves but also has a positive impact on the points tally of building certifications according to DGNB, LEED, or BREEAM. This allows nora systems to make an important contribution to increasingly more Cradle to Cradle-inspired, and thus comprehensively sustainable, buildings. These buildings largely use materials that can circulate in biological or technical production cycles, thereby having a positive impact on humans and their environment.