The European Green Deal, as launched by the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in December 2019, has two main goals: to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and to create a Circular Economy in Europe, whereby resources are kept in circulation for as long as possible. The European flooring industry is working towards these goals by striving to increase the use of recycled content in products and to recycle more end-of-life flooring.

Against this background nineteen partners joined forces in 2021 in the European Horizon 2020 CISUFLO project, Circular Sustainable Floorings, which will last for 4 years. It aims to develop innovative circular products for the flooring industry, prompting, in the long run, the adoption of a circular economy model throughout the entire value chain and beyond. The project focuses in particular on carpets, laminate and vinyl floor coverings. The workplan foresees the implementation of six pilots focusing on manufacturing, sorting, separation and recycling of floor coverings and on the scaling up of novel technologies.

Within the CISUFLO consortium we have a wide range of actors from across the flooring supply chain and beyond to develop novel recyclable flooring products, identify and develop appropriate recycling technologies to enable circular business models. Besides research centers and companies, needed to innovate the flooring products, CISUFLO also has the associations EUPC, EUFCA, EPF and CFA on board. The combined membership of these association encompasses flooring manufacturers, flooring contractors, plastics convertors and manufacturers of wood panels. These associations and their members bring to the table expert knowledge in the field of flooring, and installation.

Recycling flooring products is more than developing recyclable products alone. At end-of-life these materials need to end up in dedicated waste streams, so input from dismantling, collection and recycling companies is more than welcome. Also, the way the floor is installed will impact the dismantling process.

To bring CISUFLO’s innovations to the market, a Transition Support Group has been set up with a variety of actors. It is of vital importance to collect feedback from the whole value chain, in order to ensure implementation after the project’s end. Multiple companies have already signed up to be a member, and the list is still growing. So far, the following actors have signed up:

  • Public authorities: OVAM (BE), POM West-Vlaanderen (BE)
  • Associations/Clusters & Consultants: ABE (DE), Catalisti (BE), AgPR (DE), Denuo (BE), Essenscia PolyMatters (BE), Textile ETP (EU), Euratex (EU), Vinylplus (EU), IVGT (DE), Carpet Recycling UK, FEP (EU), EuraMaterials (EU), Kiduara (NL)
  • Collection/Recycling: Vanheede (BE), Progeva (IT), Cidiu (IT)
  • Dissemination: Domotex (DE)
  • Flooring companies: Carpet Backing (IT), IFG-Exelto (BE), Klieverik (NL), Donkersloot (NL), Barkotex (CZ), Distiplas Floors (ES), Mommersteeg (NL), Cure (NL), Modulyss (BE)
  • Raw material suppliers: Radici (IT), Total (BE), Weserland (DE)
  • Wholesalers: CoopNorge (NO), Orient-Occident (FI), RTV (FI)
  • Cross-sectorial actors: IGI (EU), Home EOS (BE)

Several meetings will be organized with the TSG members to gather opinions and feedback on the ongoing developments.

If you would also like to follow our journey towards recyclable flooring products, and guide us along the best paths, please sign up to our Transition Support Group via: https://www.cisuflo.eu/transition-support-group-tsg/