Mohawk Industries 2016 Sustainability Report Highlights How The Company Leverages Innovation To Push The Boundaries Of Sustainability

CALHOUN, Georgia, April 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2016 Sustainability Report released by Mohawk Industries online today paints a comprehensive picture of the company's innovation, passion and commitment to a better tomorrow and illustrates once again why the world's largest flooring company is also the industry leader in sustainable technology.

"In 2016, our company enjoyed a record year, but our financial results are only one measure of our success," said Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk's chairman and CEO. "Today, as the world's largest flooring company, we also assess our performance by the significant and positive impact we make through all aspects of our business. Our sustainability practices reflect the commitment of our company and the passion of our people. We continue to push the boundaries of sustainability with innovative new products and processes because we believe in—and are willing to invest in—a better tomorrow."

In 2016 alone, process improvements, product re-engineering and equipment upgrades positively impacted Mohawk's productivity by $140 million. "The depth of these savings reflects hundreds of unique projects across the enterprise, most of which deliver environmental benefits—from state-of-the-art equipment that's less energy intensive to improved freight logistics that reduce carbon emissions to paperless sales and administrative processes that save time and eliminate waste," Lorberbaum said.

The report notes Mohawk's progress in corporate responsibility and sustainability. The company:

• Recycles 7.1 billion pounds of waste a year.
• Has reduced its use of water by 277 million gallons since 2015.
• Since 2010, has reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity by 12.8%, its energy intensity by 1.9% and its water intensity by 35%.
• Recycles 5.4 billion plastic bottles annually.
• Recycles 25 million pounds of tires into doormats.

Many of Mohawk's achievements in sustainability come from the company's continuous—and inventive—journey to decrease the environmental footprint of its products and operations. The report details an environmentally friendly approach to cooling water at Mohawk's vinyl flooring plant in Belgium; how the Glasgow, Virginia carpet tile plant is tackling the global pollinator crisis; and a mobile material recycler that can process up to 30 tons of scrap material per hour for ceramic tile plants in Tennessee, Alabama and Texas.