Shaw Laminates are Green by Design

Shaw’s commitment to design, innovation and fashion leadership in hard surface is evident. However, Shaw laminate flooring also has significant environmental benefits. Preservation of resources Shaw laminates are inherently good environmental choices in floor covering. Engineered to last, laminate offers a long life span that minimizes replacement. In fact, Shaw laminates use 98% less newly harvested wood than conventional engineered hardwood products. According to Scott Sandlin, Shaw’s vice president of hard surface business development, Shaw laminates are smart choices in floor covering. “Laminate offers a long life-span that minimizes replacement. And while it simulates the upscale look of a natural product like an exotic hardwood or ceramic tile, the actual material isn’t used and the natural resource is preserved,” he said. In fact, Shaw has introduced two laminate products with realistic exotic visuals. Part of the Paradise laminate

collection, King Mahogany and Malachi Koa are upscale exotic visuals that mimic some of the most attractive species around. Both products are offered in a dramatic 2-strip, 8-inch width and 479⁄16-inch length. Malachi Koa is offered in two colors: Maui and Wailea. Both colors are glowing and rich, playing up the beauty of the interesting Koa grain patterns. King Mahogany is offered in burnished mahogany, warm mahogany and rich mahogany. EnviroCore Shaw laminates also feature EnviroCore, a high-density-fiber (HDF) core derived from recycled wood fiber, which means fewer trees are used with less waste. In addition, 100% of the post-industrial laminate manufacturing waste from the Ringgold, Ga., facility is diverted from the landfill and used as fuel, mainly for its Waste-to-Energy facility. Shaw’s Waste-to- Energy process is the innovative technology that converts carpet and wood waste to steam energy through a process called gasification.

Manufacturing waste from its West Coast operations is also sold for fuel. Waste reduction through recycling Reduction of waste is accomplished in procedures such as packaging. For example, 99% of the material used to package EnviroCore is diverted from the landfill through the use of reusable or recyclable material. Shaw laminate is another initiative under the company’s sustainability umbrella, Shaw Green Edge. According to the  CEO, sustainability fully defines Shaw’s business model as the foundation necessary to continue positioning Shaw as an industry leader.