EcoTEX™

Fletco Carpets believe strongly in finding solutions that are healthy for people and the environment. We find that architects and designers want materials that can make their projects even more eco-friendly. When we came to develop a new backing for our carpets, our criteria included that it would consist of recycled materials, could be used for broadloom and carpet tiles, has the smallest environmental footprint possible and will improve the indoor climate. We are delighted to be able to check all the boxes for our self-imposed criteria, and can proudly present EcoTEX™.

EcoTEX™ is our totally new, highly innovative felt backing, made of over 85% recycled PET materials, equivalent to at least 50 0.5L post-consumer PET bottles per m². Statistics show that over 1,000,000 PET bottles are sold every single minute of the day around the world, but that under 50% of the plastic is recycled. The rest is either incinerated, dumped or ends up in nature. Scientists estimate that it takes at least 450 years for nature to break down a plastic bottle. That’s why we are delighted to be able to get more out of PET by using it to produce high quality carpet backing.

Products with this new backing contains no bitumen, PVC, latex PFOA, PFOS or other harmful substances, and has very low VOC emissions. We attach it to the carpet using a strong latex-free adhesive, which also has very low VOC emissions. That means no pollution during manufacture, and protection for the people who produce, deliver and lay our carpets from contact with harmful substances and smells.

The manufacturing process for EcoTEX™ makes it possible to use the backing on broadloom and carpet tiles after it has been attached to the carpet. It’s soft and flexible, making it ideal for broadloom. By putting a finished carpet through a further process, the EcoTEX™ backing becomes more compact and less flexible, making it perfect for carpet tiles, as these are exactly the properties needed for laying tiles with the most attractive result. The flexibility we gain in production means shorter delivery times, lower stocks and material waste. Because we can now cut both types of customer orders from the same production batch, we avoid having to keep both types in stock, and can quickly deliver wall-to-wall carpets and tiles without having to produce them first, or stock both types. We also reduce waste by being able to cut tiles out of leftover production.

The finished product is composed of four layers, carefully selected with the focus on durability, total product weight, flexible production, comfort and sustainability. The first range of carpets with the new backing is called Penta. Penta is a lightweight version of one of our most popular tufted carpets. It’s made of dyed polyamide, and comes in 11 different varieties. Not only is odourless, but it is also permanently antistatic.

EcoTEX™ is a little thicker than our normal backings. That makes it more comfortable to walk on, and improves acoustics in the rooms it is laid in. Such factors are important to the indoor climate in rooms where there a lot of people and high noise levels, e.g. from phones and conversation in offices, public buildings, kindergartens etc. The slightly heavier backing combined with the relatively light carpet material gives a low total mass, making it more eco-friendly to transport, and easier to lay.

As with all Fletco Carpets products, Penta EcoTEX™ and Penta EcoTiles™ are made using CO₂ neutral wind energy.

All-in-all, EcoTEX™ leaves a very small footprint on the environment compared to most other floor coverings, as its manufacture is CO₂ neutral, uses less resources from nature to produce, reduces the amount of waste on land and sea, is healthy for people and therefore for the world, while making production even more flexible.