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Shaw Industries Simultaneously Focuses on Environmental Health and the Human Experience

People and the environment are at the heart of 2018 Sustainability Report

Brand Provided | By Shaw Industries | Published 5 years ago | About a 3 minute read

Image: Shaw Industries

Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw), a global floorcovering provider, has released its 2018 sustainability report. The report emphasizes the company’s efforts to sustain[HUMAN]abilityTM, an endeavor to put people at the heart of its sustainability efforts -- addressing planetary health and human experience at the same time.

“We’re committed to leading by example, by staying true to who we’ve always been: A company founded on putting people first. A business built on integrity and powered by innovation,” stated Shaw Industries Chairman and CEO Vance Bell.

“The definition of sustainability is broadening to include potential impacts on our human experiences, not only the importance of ingredients that go into products, but also the effects of sound, moisture and other design elements,” stated Susan Farris, Vice President Sustainability and Corporate Communications at Shaw Industries. “In addition to the important benchmarks of energy, water, waste and emissions that have been the core to the sustainability journey for decades, the human experience within the built environment is increasingly important to our diverse array of stakeholders. We perpetually take the next step forward, across every element of our sustainability strategy - beginning with the human element.”

The report exemplifies how Shaw is responding to the evolving sustainability landscape through its ongoing initiatives and key accomplishments:

Continued its 20-year commitment to Cradle to Cradle® principles providing a framework that focuses on material health and the ingredients that go into products -- in addition to material reuse, renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness. Almost 90 percent of the products Shaw makes are Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM
Reduced energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) impact, cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions in half from 2010 baseline
Achieved carbon neutrality in commercial carpet manufacturing operations globally
Began operating a Combined Heat & Power plant at its Columbia, S.C. fiber production facility, which reduces the plant’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 26,000 metric tonnes—an impact equal to removing almost 5,500 passenger vehicles from the road each year
Joined the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment as part of the momentous Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco
Incorporated the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact into its more robust sustainable sourcing policy
Recycled almost 1 billion pounds of carpet since 2006
Recycled more than 24 billion bottles at Clear Path Recycling since 2009
Invested more than $1.5 billion in new and existing facilities in the U.S. over the past five years
Provided more than 1.3 million training hours for its associates
In conjunction with associates, donated more than $6.5 million to non-profit organizations

In 2018, Shaw engaged Framework, LLC, a sustainability consulting firm, to update its materiality assessment, (first conducted in 2014) to ensure sustainability priorities and goals align with current market expectations. This process identified 10 high priority (material) issues for Shaw stakeholders and leadership (in alphabetical order):

Climate Change and GHGs
Customer Satisfaction
Product End of Life
Product Environmental Impact (Manufacturing)
Product Human Impact (Use)
Product Innovation
Supply Chain Management
Sustainability Marketing
Talent Management
Transparency and Product Disclosures

In the year ahead, Shaw will identify or adjust goals to align with this priority items.

Shaw’s sustainability report follows the Global Reporting Initiative framework. Read or download Shaw’s 2018 Sustainability Report at https://shawinc.com/2018sustainabilityreport.

About Shaw Industries

Shaw Industries Group, Inc. offers a diverse portfolio of carpet, resilient, hardwood, tile & stone, and laminate flooring products, synthetic turf and other specialty items for residential and commercial markets worldwide via its brands Anderson, Patcraft, Philadelphia Commercial, Shaw Contract, Shaw Floors, Shaw Hospitality, Shaw Sports Turf, Southwest Greens, Tuftex, USFloors and more.

Headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, Shaw is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. The company employs more than 20,000 associates with offices; R&D, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution locations; product showrooms; and/or salespeople throughout the U.S., as well as Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, India, the Netherlands, Mexico, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit http://shawinc.com.