Quick-Step is known for its high-quality flooring, but did you know that the brand is also a leader in sustainability?
What does sustainability mean for Quick-Step?
The Quick-Step brand has been around since 1990, making it one of the oldest flooring brands in the Benelux. Unilin – the group behind Quick-Step – has been a pioneer in the reuse of materials and raw resources from the very beginning. Unilin ensures that these principles are woven into Quick-Step's operations.
"Sustainability is embedded in our DNA" is prominently displayed on the Quick-Step website to show that it is one of the driving forces behind their success. They are aware that if you are one of the largest flooring brands in the Netherlands, your ecological footprint cannot be small, which is why Quick-Step is constantly innovating in sustainability.
Materials and raw resources
Using the right materials is of great importance in the flooring industry. How can you make the best floors if you don't use the best materials? And how do you remain sustainable then? Quick-Step has all the answers to that.
Quick-Step has multiple processes for using recycled materials and delivering top-quality flooring from those materials. One of these is the use of reclaimed wood in their laminate and parquet floors. These floors are made exclusively from wood collected from sawmills and through processes related to sustainable forest management and road maintenance, etc., which would otherwise be burned or destroyed.
In addition to exclusively using reclaimed wood in their laminate and parquet floors, they are definitely committed to maximizing the use of raw resources. Since trees play one of the most important roles in combating climate change, it is important to work as efficiently as possible in the production of laminate and parquet floors. That is why Quick-Step only uses slow-growing tree species such as oak in the top layers of parquet floors. The core of the wooden floors consists either of fast-growing trees (spruce, rubber trees) or reclaimed wood. This way, they get the maximum out of every tree.
Energy efficiency and CO₂ reduction
Although sustainable use of materials greatly reduces CO₂, there are, of course, many more processes that emit CO₂, which Quick-Step works on daily to limit.
Unilin - the group behind Quick-Step - has invested in two biomass plants to convert wood dust and non-recyclable wood waste into green energy. The energy produced from these plants is used to supply their own production processes. Moreover, Quick-Step relies on energy from wind turbines and solar panels. So much green energy is generated that half of the group's production runs on renewable energy.
Quick-Step is also involved in making transport more sustainable. An example of this is changing diesel trucks to electric or to sustainable biodiesel. Even Quick-Step's representatives and staff drive sustainably, which significantly reduces the ecological footprint of Unilin and Quick-Step.
The factories where the floors are produced are also within Europe. This ensures less CO₂ emissions, thanks to the relatively short distances the floors have to travel.
Transparency about materials
Quick-Step is one of the few flooring brands that is transparent about the materials used in PVC production.
Besides lime and internally recycled PVC, about a quarter of Quick-Step floors are made of new or virgin PVC, which is produced from Chlorine (common salt) and ethylene (crude oil). Unfortunately, we must take into account that oil is a non-renewable resource, but that is why Quick-Step pays extra attention to developing long-lasting PVC floors. Up to 25 years.
Healthy indoor air
Indoors, it is of course extra important to ensure that the air you breathe is healthy. Yet, the harmful emissions that PVC floors can release are often overlooked.
Fortunately, Quick-Step is one of the best when it comes to limiting the emission of harmful substances. They are aware that most of our lives take place indoors and that it is therefore so important. Emissions are limited because Quick-Step's floors are produced internally as much as possible, which means they know exactly what materials the floors contain.
An important point for a PVC floor is that it meets the minimum VOC emission value. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds, which are chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature. An example of a VOC is formaldehyde, which is also emitted by wood. Quick-Step's parquet and laminate floors emit 10 times less than prescribed in EU standards. For PVC floors, no formaldehyde has been detected at all.
Future of Quick-Step
Quick-Step always calls itself innovative in the field of sustainability. In this blog and on the Quick-Step website, you can read that this is indeed true. They are constantly working on making their processes more sustainable, optimizing internal recycling, and so on in the area of sustainability.
Quick-Step's vision is to achieve and contribute to the challenging climate goals set at the time, in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Unilin – the group behind Quick-Step – has decided to take all possible measures to contribute to the most ambitious outcome of 1.5ºC by 2050.
Conclusion
Sustainability is not just a trend for Quick-Step. It is a core value deeply rooted in the brand and the group behind it. From reusing raw materials and materials to a massive investment in two biomass plants. With these ventures, Quick-Step proves that they are not only a major player as a flooring brand but also in sustainability.
