The Nordic Swan Ecolabel provides strong support for Kährs sustainability work
Kährs, a leading manufacturer and distributor of flooring has successfully in 2019 renewed its license and certification for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, the official ecolabel of the Nordic countries. Kährs today, has more than 180 of its wood floors ecolabelled.
There are many stringent requirements in order to receive this trusted certification such as auditing of material content, certified wood sourcing, chemicals approval, indoor air quality, air-, water- and ground emissions submittals, licensed recycling program, renewable energy, efficient resource usage, and waste disposal all must be achieved.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel criteria is built upon a life cycle assessment perspective – from raw material to end of life – and only the environmentally best products receive the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. It is an effective program for helping companies that are working on sustainable solutions – while helping consumers and professional buyers to choose environmentally sound goods and services. The ecolabel puts a very high demand on environment, health, quality, and product functionality – certification demands are increased every three years, after review. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is also directly associated with the UN’s global Sustainable Development Goals targets on sustainable production and consumption (Goal 12 in the UN SDG Agenda 2030), and it is one of the SDG targets that Kährs is focusing on in its business operations.
“The first Kährs floors were labelled in 2013 and today more than 180 wood floors are certified in accordance with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, which is in line with Kährs’ sustainability program. By increasing the sustainable requirements on our products, the raw material, and our manufacturing processes, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel provides effective support in Kährs efforts to bring more sustainable products to the market”, says Bruce Uhler, Sustainability Manager at Kährs Group.
“For 30 years the Nordic Swan Ecolabel has influenced how companies can adapt and offer more sustainable manufacturing and thus contribute to a more sustainable development, which today is more important than ever, to reduce companies’ carbon footprint. It is fantastic to see how different sectors make efforts to reach the global environment and climate targets, whether it is sustainable produced flooring as in this case, ecolabelled investment funds or chain stores. Together we are pushing products and market segments in a sustainable direction”, says Lukas Sjölén, Business Area Manager at Ecolabelling Sweden.
Earlier this year, Kährs Managing Director for Norway, Sverre Severinsen, was awarded the Nordic Swan Ecolabel Honorary Award for his dedication to environmental issues and his efforts within Kährs’ to have its parquet flooring audited and certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. It is a work that is based on the knowledge that wood, as raw material, is characterized by its sustainable attributes and that wood resources should be handled in a wise and efficient way.
For further information, please contact:
Helén Johansson, Corporate Communication, Kährs Group
Tel: +46 70 364 60 30
Lukas Sjölén, Business Area Manager, Ecolabelling Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)8 55 55 24 53 lukas.sjolen@svanen.se
About the Nordic Swan Ecolabel
The Swedish Government has given Ecolabelling Sweden the overall responsibility for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel and the EU Ecolabel in Sweden.
Ecolabelling Sweden should guide consumers to more sustainable products and contribute to the overall goals for consumer policy in Sweden being fulfilled, that is, "well-functioning consumer markets and an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable consumption".
In 1998, the company SIS Ecolabelling AB was formed, today named Ecolabelling Sweden AB. The company is wholly owned by the state. The business has no financial profit purpose and is financed partly through a fee from the companies that have licenses and partly through a state subsidy.
About Kährs Group
Kährs Group is a leading manufacturer and distributor of flooring with the aim of providing customer experiences beyond expectations. Kährs innovations have shaped the industry throughout its history and the company is dedicated to offering flooring solutions for every room, environment and need. The company delivers sustainable and durable flooring solutions to more than 70 countries, being a market leader in hardwood flooring in Sweden, Finland and Russia, and having strong positions in other key markets, such as Norway, the UK and Germany. The Group has approximately 1,700 employees and annual sales of more than SEK 3 billion. www.kahrsgroup.com
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