J+J Flooring Group environmental program earns recertification

[Dalton] J+J Flooring Group announced it has been awarded ISO 14001 recertification for its Environmental Management System. J+J first certified to ISO 14001 in 2008.

The company received an outstanding review during its recertification, according Charles Lee, ISO assessor and member of the U.S. team that contributed to the development of the ISO 14001 standard. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest standards developer, and ISO 14001 is a comprehensive documentation of environmental management systems.

The 2014 recertification is the result of an organization-wide assessment that noted outstanding progress in J+J’s environmental performance including:

• ·New Aquafinity processes that recover and recycle 65 percent of dyehouse wastewater, saving 16 million gallons of water per year.
• ·Reducing dyehouse energy use by 5 billion BTUs annually, enough to power 150 local homes for a year.
• ·Digital product development that relies on paper simulation rather than manufacturing actual samples. Entire color lines can be developed using this process.   
• ·Upgrades to the extrusion process that reduce energy usage.
• ·Additional light sensors and automated aspirators that reduce energy use.
• ·Intra-company use of video conferencing to reduce the carbon footprint associated with employee travel.

“As the third-party lead Environmental Management System auditor at J+J Flooring Group for the past two years, I have noted that the company’s commitment to not only improve the environment but to raise the bar for the carpet industry is exemplary,” Lee said. “This reflects a genuine corporate concern for the environment. The program has accomplished significant reductions in energy usage, water usage and waste through implementation of not only state-of-the-art programs, but innovative technology as well.”