As the demand for sustainable flooring continues to rise, so is the need for product transparency. Metroflor Corporation is pushing for greater transparency in consumer flooring products—particularly at the manufacturing stage. With that being said, it's safe to say that the demand for Metroflor LVT sustainability is on the rise, and we're ready to exceed expectations. Leading this global conversation is Metroflor's Chief Sustainability Officer Rochelle Routman, who recently discussed the importance of product transparency with Dave Foster, producer and owner of TalkFloor.com, and Jin Song, General Manager of one of Metroflor's primary factories, Elegant Plastics.

Greenbuild International Conference and Expo

In October, thousands attended the Greenbuild Conference and Expo—“E13 The Path to Red List Free: Product Ingredient Transparency", to discuss the most pressing problems surrounding the green building industry. In attendance was Metroflor’s CSO Rochelle Routman, who led a panel on Metroflor’s successful elimination of red list chemicals from select product lines. In an interview with Dave Foster after her panel, Routman talked about the changing dialogue at the Greenbuild Expo and the future of sustainability - more specifically, the future of Metroflor LVT sustainability. “What’s so great about this year is that I have experienced new conversations and more candid discussions and I would say broader topics than I’ve seen in previous years,” Routman said. Routman said that the Greenbuild Expo was originally focused on the LEED standard, but now the topics have broadened into topics such as health, transparency, and community engagement. Routman said that she thinks this social aspect of the green building industry is a critical component of the sustainability discussion. “I think it’s a very healthy and positive sign,” Routman said. Catch the full video interview here:

New Voice of China Transparency Interview

In other efforts to further the initiatives of Metroflor LVT sustainability, Routman also recently challenged the negative perception of Chinese manufacturing practices and sat down for an interview with Jin Song, whom she met during a recent trip to China. Song is the General Manager at Elegant Plastics, the factory where Metroflor’s Aspecta brand commercial flooring is produced. In the interview, Song said that his company was more than willing to demonstrate product transparency to their customers. “We have nothing to hide. We can share everything and we’re glad to share everything to our customer,” Song said. Routman also talked about the positive aspects of the plant that she saw when her and Song toured the facility, such as a daycare center for the children of the employees. Song said that over half of the employees have been working at the plant for more than 10 years, and many of them have children. “We set up a daycare—like a classroom—to take care of their children,” Song said, “Especially after school [because] they have nowhere to go.” This daycare benefits not just the employees, but it can also pay off for the company. With childcare taken care of, the employees can focus on creating new and innovative products for their customers. “As a company, we are very focused on innovation because we think if we create new technology and new material, it’s good for us and it’s also good for the final customer,” Song said. For the Routman's full interview with Jin Song, watch the video below:

Get The Latest News On Metroflor LVT Sustainability

The Metroflor Sustainability team, headed by CSO, Rochelle Routman, remains hard at work to continue demanding higher levels of excellence from the flooring manufacturing industry. For more information on the standards that Metroflor adheres to, please visit the Sustainability Page on our website. You can also join the Metroflor LVT sustainability conversation and stay up to date on our latest initiatives by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!