CALHOUN, GA – 3M Canada Company and Mannington Commercial recently announced a joint project in which large format graphics used in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games will be reclaimed and manufactured into high recycled content flooring.
To support their sustainability objectives, when planning for building and vehicle graphics, 3M Canada looked for ways to reclaim the wraps after use, as a material stream for recycled products. About 200,000 square feet of the graphics seen during the games on vehicles and key venues such as the Richmond Olympic Oval and the Pacific Coliseum are in scope. After the games, all of this material will be diverted from landfill and remanufactured into Mannington commercial flooring.
"We learned about Mannington's precedent for recycling mixed waste similar to our graphic materials into flooring," says Richard Chartrand, vice president, display and graphics business, 3M Canada. "Most recycling facilities would quickly turn away from the colorful, irregular shaped lumps that the graphics result in after use, but Mannington was up for the challenge."
"We have invested in technology that puts Mannington in a leadership position in recycled flooring," says Dave Kitts, Mannington vice president – environment. "One of the simplest ways to conserve resources is to reuse what you can. We've found second lives for many flooring products and were intrigued by the opportunity presented by 3M Canada."
Mannington will recycle the graphics into Premium Tile, a product popular in commercial health care, education and retail applications. The Premium Tile product already contains post-consumer waste streams including drywall and VCT reclaimed from renovation sites, and is certified as an Environmentally Preferable Product, meeting the rigorous requirements of NSF-332-2007 certification.
"As we have innovated to grow our recycling capabilities, we have been looking for waste streams to increase the amount of post-consumer content that we can use in our products,” says John Emmons, director of commercial manufacturing at Mannington. “The arrangement was not only a great way to support this 3M Canada initiative; it also made very good business sense."
“3M’s graphics will create a dramatic visual impact at the 2010 Winter Games, and our partnership with Mannington will help limit our environmental impact after the Games end,” adds 3M Canada’s Chartrand. “3M considers this recycling program a significant step in the right direction for creating a positive environmental shift in our industry.”
For more information, visit 3m.ca/2010.
Mannington Commercial has distinguished itself as one of North America’s premier manufacturers of high-quality floor covering designs for hard and soft surfaces. Its range of choices in both categories is unparalleled, and its sustainability platform is built upon innovative measures to improve closed-loop recycling, reduce waste streams and reuse waste materials. Mannington stands upon a better business ethic, better products and a better world for the good of the people who create and use their commercial and residential products. For more information, go to manningtoncommercial.com.
