04. February 2020 | Germany | Healthy Living

Additional Cradle to Cradle certificate for rubber floors

nora systems receives silver award for noraplan series

Weinheim, February 2020 – At nora systems, the rubber sheet flooring has now also re-ceived the Cradle to Cradle certification. After norament tiles had already received the sil-ver certificate in 2018, the noraplan standard floor coverings were now also awarded silver by the "Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute". The independent auditors paid trib-ute to the contribution of nora rubber flooring to the circular economy and to fully sustaina-ble buildings. Cradle to Cradle certification not only distinguishes the products themselves, but also has a positive impact on the scores for DGNB, LEED and BREEAM building certi-fications. There, the use of ecologically advantageous materials is rewarded with high scores in the evaluation. "Following the certification of the norament standard range two years ago, we decided to set the same standards for our sheet flooring and to make this visible to our customers through the certification," explains Dirk Oswald, Head of Product Management of the nora product range.

Model for water management and power consumption

The essence of the Cradle to Cradle concept involves thinking in complete product cycles right from the outset to avoid creating rubbish in the traditional sense. All of the product materials used must therefore be biodegradable or recyclable after use. Various categories are evaluated for certification: The material health of the products used, the recyclability of the product, use of renewable energy sources, responsible water management as well as compliance with social standards. The awards range from Basic through Bronze, Silver and Gold to Platinum. The lowest standard reached in a category then determines the overall rating of a product. In the water management category, the noraplan standard floor coverings received Gold. nora systems is also exemplary in terms of power consumption: The company has been drawing its electricity needs from renewable energy sources since 2018.

Certifications are becoming increasingly important

With the increased importance of sustainability in the construction industry, certifications such as Cradle to Cradle are becoming increasingly important. "Certifications awarded by independent institutes help customers to orient themselves and select sustainable con-struction products for their projects," explains Oswald. nora systems is constantly working to improve further in terms of sustainable value creation. "We see the greatest opportuni-ties in the use of new, environmentally friendly raw materials," continues the Head of Prod-uct Management. nora systems also works closely with suppliers to further optimise the raw materials used in terms of sustainability and transparency in the supply chain.*

Copyright images: Large image: Angelo Kaunat, Markus Bachmann (2), arus gmbh willi latz I Fotograf: Norbert Miguletz (3), Ralf Dieter Bischoff (4), CR-BEELDWERKEN (5), Bart Gosselin (6)

* The text can be freely used. Publication of images in connection with press releases of nora systems GmbH is free of charge if the source is quoted. The copyright can be found under Image Properties >> Details. The use for advertising purposes is not permitted. We ask for a specimen copy.

About nora

nora by Interface is the commercial rubber flooring brand of Interface, Inc. Produced in Germany for more than 70 years, nora premium rubber solutions help to support operations, efficiencies, health, safety and well-being with sustainable flooring that eases maintenance, reduces noise, and provides added comfort underfoot.

Interface, Inc., (NASDAQ: TILE) is a global flooring solutions enterprise with an integrated portfolio of carpet tile and resilient flooring products, where everything is third-party certified carbon neutral. With our design approach to flooring systems, we help our customers create high-performance interior spaces that have a positive impact on people’s lives and the planet. Our range includes Interface^® carpet tile and LVT, nora^® by Interface rubber flooring, and FLOR^® premium area rugs for commercial and residential spaces.

Interface is third-party certified as a Carbon Neutral Enterprise. We neutralized our carbon impact across our entire business, including all operations and our full value chain, marking an important milestone toward our objective to become a restorative and carbon negative enterprise by 2040.

Learn more about Interface at interface.com and blog.interface.com, nora by Interface at nora.com, FLOR at FLOR.com, and our sustainability journey at interface.com/sustainability.