ISO 14001
J+J Flooring Group 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 to 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% 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.
The company-wide focus to recertify to the ISO 14001 Standard exemplifies J+J’s corporate commitment to reducing pollution and minimizing environmental impacts on air, water, and land. J+J continues to adopt new environmental processes and systems and engage associates in sustainability initiatives at work, at home and in the community.
“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.”
ISO helps organizations minimize their operations’ effects on the environment, comply with applicable laws, regulations and other environmentally oriented requirements, and continually improve on each of these. The ISO 14001 environmental standard was launched in 1996 and is used by organizations around the world.
J+J operates with steadfast commitment to sustainability. Since 1992, waste to landfills has been reduced by more than 90%, with facilities diverting 10 million pounds of material waste from the landfill annually. By the year 2020, J+J’s 20/20 Vision calls for the company to eliminate waste to landfills and reduce water usage by 66%, energy usage by 20%, and GHG emissions by 20%. The plan also includes commitments to increasing renewable energy by 10% and to producing products with at least 33% recycled, bio-based or renewable content.