The simple answer is yes sustainability can be luxurious; quality and luxury don’t have to be compromised when opting for a sustainable product.

Sustainability, in short, is all about meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In order to have healthy communities now and in the future, we need clean air, access to natural and sustainable resources, and nontoxic environments.

So how do Danfloor combined sustainability with luxury? Not only do we carefully monitor our environmental impact at all stages of the manufacturing processes, but we take pride in sourcing the most sustainable and forward-thinking yarn suppliers.

A number of our nylon ranges have been developed using Aquafil’s regenerated ECONYL® yarn, which performs exactly the same as virgin nylon but has a very different story behind it. ECONYL® is made by recovering nylon waste such as fishing nets from the oceans and turning it into virgin quality nylon. ECONYL® regenerated nylon gives endless possibilities and can be recycled infinitely. The Econyl® regenerated nylon yarn has less impact on climate change as it reduces the global impact of nylon by up to 80%, compared with material produced from oil.

The ECONYL® 100% regenerated nylon yarn produced through this process has exactly the same high quality and technical performance as those made from virgin raw materials, the big difference is that it is much more sustainable, demonstrating that sustainability doesn’t compromise performance either.

The ECONOMIX Range

Economix is one of the ranges that incorporates the Econyl® Nylon yarn. It’s a range which is specially designed to withstand the pressures of demanding environments. Since its’ launch in 2014 Economix has been specified across many market sectors and by the NHS and BUPA.

Economix combines impressive performance characteristics, making it a flooring solution that is not only aesthetically pleasing but is also able to offer a number of practical and functional benefits:

• Certified to British Standard classification 33 “heavy commercial use” enabling it to withstand high volumes of foot and wheeled traffic and intensive commercial cleaning.
• Includes BI-OME, our antimicrobial coating which kills 99.99% harmful micro-organisms and has also shown to deactivate enveloped viruses including SARS-COV-2
• Econyl® is a soil and stain resistant yarn which prevents dirt from becoming embedded in the carpet fibres making soil removal easier and less visible
• Economix includes an impervious membrane which prevents liquid spills from penetrating to the subfloor reducing contamination, fungal growth and unpleasant odours.
• The range includes on-trend tonal colours which are suitable for use within dementia care settings and can be combined with the decorative Evolution Collection to create stunning interior design schemes

So what else is sustainable?

Earlier we also mentioned about nontoxic environments and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) are just one element that can contribute to the toxicity of internal spaces. The good news is that carpets contain exceptionally low levels of VOC’s. As part of the manufacturing, process carpet is effectively baked in a finishing oven at 150-170 degrees. This drives off most of the volatile chemicals including solvents in adhesives and raw material, leaving a product with minimal VOC content and one that contains no Formaldehyde.

Along with offering functionality and practicality, floor finishes should also help to improve indoor air quality and carpets have been proven to do this. Research has demonstrated that carpets can hold and retain dust particles until they are vacuumed away. With hard flooring, dust sits on the surface and can regularly become airborne. When this happens, the dust can re-circulate into the breathing zone and if inhaled can cause discomfort and breathing problems for allergy sufferers and those living with respiratory problems.

Compared with a hard-flooring carpet adds a warm and welcoming feel to any room and provides a soft cushioned layer for extra underfoot comfort. Carpets also have an added advantage of improving energy consumption due to a lower level of heat conduction. It is estimated that up to 30 days of heating can be saved by installing carpets, resulting in a 4-6% energy saving and a consequent reduction in energy costs.

Research also suggests that on an annual basis cleaning times for hard surface floors is two and a half times longer than what is required for carpets and that cleaning supplies for vinyl floors are up to 7 times more expensive than those required for cleaning carpets. Therefore, maintenance time and cost-saving benefits can also be achieved with the installation of Economix.

Visit our website to find out more about the Economix Range.