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Over the past
decade, the Antron® business has been
aggressively moving its operations toward sustainable growth by investing
millions of dollars in the improvement of its commercial flooring operations
to minimize environmental impact. The environmental payoffs of these
efforts include
significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous wastes
and energy consumption per unit of product produced.
For its responsible investments in environmental improvements, Antron® recently
received the DuPont Sustainable Growth Award, which recognizes efforts
on behalf of the business to reduce the total environmental impact of
its manufacturing processes.
By rewarding positive initiatives within the company, DuPont encourages
its business units and subsidiaries to make continuous improvements in
its products and processes.
In June 2002, Antron® received Environmentally Preferable Product
(EPP) certification for all Antron® BCF commercial fibers manufactured
in North America, and over a year later, remains the only fiber manufacturer
to meet the
rigorous criteria for certification including:
- Product performance
significantly better than what is typical of
commercial carpet fibers.
- Product manufacturing with a
significantly smaller total
environmental impact.
- Significant increase in the use of “green energy.”
- Documentation of significant efforts towards protecting health, safety
and the environment.
- End-of-life responsibility.
The achievement of EPP certification began with the creation
of the Total Environmental Impact (TEI) Index, a tool which
measures the quantifiable results Antron® has achieved in reducing its waste,
emissions, use of natural resources and energy, as well
as progress in Safety and Health and End-of-Life responsibility.
The TEI Index shows that the total environmental impact of Antron® carpet
fiber is 30 percent below the industry standard. Antron® is currently on
target to achieve a TEI at 50 percent of the industry standard by 2010.
The Antron® Sustainability Advisory Council, comprised of
world-renown environmental and commercial interior experts, assisted in the development
of the TEI Index, and helps Antron®
look at its manufacturing and recycling processes to make the best choices on
where to invest in lowering its impacts. Recognizing that sustainability is a
never-ending process, Antron® will continually work to reduce its total environmental
impact by investing resources into sustainable efforts and working with those
that share a vision for a sustainable future. Back
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The Equator Principles |
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