Jason McLennan, founder of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) and 2017 HIVE dean, worked for eight months with Mohawk to develop flooring that brought the natural beauty of lichen inside.
As he explains in this short video, Mohawk now offers nine carpets that honor a series of different species of lichen with unique growing patterns and colors.
The carpet is the first product to receive the ILFI Petal Certification, says George Bandy Jr., vice president of sustainability for the Mohawk Group.
The ILFI’s Living Product Challenge is a product certification program with the most advanced measure of sustainability in product manufacturing today. The certification has seven performance categories called petals: place, water, energy, health and happiness, materials, equity, and beauty. Petal Recognition is awarded to products that satisfy the requirements in three categories of the Living Product Challenge, when at least one is water, energy, or materials. The lichen-inspired product line met the requirements for the place, water, and health and happiness petals.
This certification is one way to encourage manufacturers to go further than they ever have before, says McLennan. Ultimately, he wants to change the mindset and get everyone in the supply chain to be thinking about how their part in manufacturing can be healthier and cleaner. This Lichen product line will help other manufacturers think about how bringing nature inside can be beautiful and sustainable.
Other groups, such as VitalArchitecture.org, are looking at ways to bring the beauty of nature indoors for its wellness properties. Consumers even are starting to look for better solutions that not only help them, but also make them feel better. Consumers may not remember all the statistics behind the product, but they will remember the story line, Mohawk’s Bandy says.
“This new product cultivates a unique connection point with Mother Nature as the first floor covering to be recognized with Living Product Challenge Petal Certification,” said Bandy in a release. “Mohawk’s sense of responsibility to product transparency encourages us daily to look for ways we can meaningfully set the bar higher for sustainability through innovative products with reduced environmental and social impacts.”
At HIVE 2017 in December, McLennan will further explore how product development approaches wellness in a thoughtful way.
This article appears as it was originally published at www.hiveforhousing.com.
