Polyflor at ACE: The company's outlook on sustainability and what's on the horizon

There are a lot of things happening at Polyflor in 2022 and beyond.

Amidst the plethora of innovations and developments in its vinyl flooring offering, there are other big-picture goings-on that are making this year one to remember. The company recently released its Sustainability Report, affirming its status as a leader in its field within the New Zealand flooring industry; it has also reaffirmed its commitment to the Recofloor vinyl flooring recycling scheme.

And this coming November, Polyflor will be the headline sponsor of the ArchiPro Commercial Expo (ACE), Aotearoa’s largest event that looks to solve some of the biggest challenges facing the commercial industry.

Peter Holmes, sales director at Polyflor, says the decision to take such a high profile position at ACE was a straightforward one.

“We’ve done a lot of our networking and marketing through ArchiPro for a number of years now,” says Peter. “And for this year, especially after all the milestones we’ve achieved, it just made good sense to headline sponsor ACE.”

Peter says it’s these kinds of events – rife with good conversations, building relationships and networking – that helps expose not only Polyflor’s offerings but those of every commercial professional that exhibits there.

“It provides us with a way to reach a wider, more ‘architectural’ audience,” says Peter. “So when the opportunity came up, we were stoked to jump on it.”

As an event that brings together leading professionals, product suppliers and other experts involved in shaping New Zealand's commercial design and build industry, ACE represents a major opportunity for companies like Polyflor in reaching their target markets.

“ArchiPro has a very targeted audience of specifiers, builders and homeowners – and that’s exactly who we want to convey our message to,” says Peter. “And it also helps that we consider ArchiPro to be a fairly ‘green’ company to advertise with – and with our focus on sustainability, this was also a huge reason we were happy to sponsor the event.”

This focus was highlighted when Polyflor released its sprawling and comprehensive Sustainability Report late last year, which featured many headlines: the company reached 100% renewable electricity consumption; a 100% decrease on net waste; a 21% decrease on water usage; and a 29% reduction on total greenhouse gas emissions from the previous year.

“We like to say that we’ve been ahead of the curve for over a decade when it comes to sustainability,” Peter says. “So you're talking 12 years worth of experience in this area, leading the market with BRE+ global certification, GreenTag Gold certification – all the highest-echelon credentials against all of our materials. And on top of this is the Recofloor take back scheme.”

Recofloor is a collection and recycling service for commercial waste vinyl flooring, which was originally founded by Polyflor in the UK. The service provides an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional waste disposal routes, helping the flooring industry and its partners become more sustainable.

According to Polyflor’s 2021 sustainability report, the company collected 424 tonnes of vinyl waste flooring worldwide. Much of it was actually reused rather than recycled – but if this was not possible, all Polyflor products are 100% recyclable through the Recofloor take back scheme or other initiatives and outlets.

“We have a sustainable position throughout our global operations – all the way down to ethical sourcing,” says Peter. “This means scrutinising where we get our raw materials, making sure that we don't buy anything from anybody that is not trading correctly, and much more.

“And I think a lot of people at ACE would be impressed if they saw the effort we’re putting into our sustainability.”

Learn more about Polyflor and its sustainable offering, and sign up to attend ACE here.