Environmental Practices

Süddekor goes the extra mile to ensure that we can offset our footprint at every turn with strict waste recycling guidelines and smart energy investments. From the replacement of exotic wood use to tight control on manufacturing protocols — Süddekor ensures every waste product is reused or recycled to the nth degree. Wherever possible, we repurpose paper waste and ink. Even our facility trash is recycled into heating material in the form of pellet or cube fuel.

FSC Certification

Guided by strict rules and criteria, the broad goals of the FSC are to prohibit conversion of natural forests or other habitats; prohibit the use of hazardous pesticides around the world; prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified trees (GMOs); respect the rights of indigenous peoples around the world; and monitor each certified operation at least once a year.

These objectives result in a “chain of custody” that tracks the source of raw materials harvested to produce several base papers that Süddekor uses for printing.  And while the certification (granted by Scientific Certification Systems, certificate code SCS-COC-003072) does not apply to all of Süddekor’s products, it does mean that our FSC Certified products follow a pure track from suppliers through end users and originate from responsibly managed forests.

The FSC label provides a credible link between responsible production and consumption of forest products, enabling consumers and businesses to make purchasing decisions that benefit people and the environment as well as providing ongoing business value.

Exotic Wood Replacement

Our exotic flooring prints are developed without depleting natural, rare forest lands and present a viable, beautiful alternative to the harvesting of endangered wood. Süddekor designs duplicate both the feel and look of exotics with the added benefit of a longer life-cycle than traditional wood flooring, lowering the need for repair and replacement frequency.

Wastewater Treatment

100% of the water used in Süddekor’s manufacturing process is recaptured and filtered before returning to the environment under strictly monitored conditions by the Springfield Water Commission. All of our inks are water based, and by repurposing leftover ink from printing jobs for future orders, there is no ink waste released at all.

Waste Material Recycling

Every two weeks approximately 20 tons of paper (scrap, lab rolls, obsolete printed paper) is resold to two of our paper suppliers who use the paper in the manufacture of backer material for laminate flooring. Süddekor then, in return, buys the backer material to use at our treatment facility. About 700,000 pounds of paper is recycled annually this way and comprises about 95% of our waste paper.

All other facility garbage is locally compacted into energy cubes or pellets used for household heating. This includes any trim from printed rolls.

Even the coreboard used in laminate flooring is fabricated, as a rule, from recycled wood waste and sawdust. Together with our recycling processes, these qualities make laminate desirable in today’s eco-friendly market with the added value of affordability.

Energy Consumption

A $30,000 investment in energy-efficient lighting augmented with full building-width skylights cuts down on daily energy use while motion-sensor activated switches reduce usage during unoccupied hours.