LAGRANGE, GA.—The Commonwealth of Massachusetts presented Milliken Contract and its Framingham, Mass.-based service provider State Contract Carpet with a 2006 Business Environmental Purchasing and Sustainability Award for exceptional sustainable practices.
The business awards recognize leadership and creativity in promoting sustainable products and practices beyond the contract obligations for statewide contractors. Nominees were reviewed on criteria extending beyond recycled content, including background on initiatives for greenhouse gas emission reduction, waste minimization, Design for the Environment, Life Cycle Assessment and other sustainable practices.
“Milliken’s rich eco heritage and leadership in sustainable practices across the board were quite impressive,” says Ellen Bickelman, state purchasing agent for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Awards Recognize Purchasing Excellence
The Environmental Purchasing and Sustainability Awards is a public service awards program sponsored by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Operational Services Division in cooperation with the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, and Department of Environmental Protection. The awards recognize outstanding efforts in purchasing Environmentally Preferable Products (EPPs) and other sustainable practices among businesses awarded statewide contracts, municipalities and agencies.
LaGrange, Ga.-based Milliken Contract has reduced its eco-footprint by 85 percent over the past 15 years, while increasing production. Milliken has reduced both energy consumption and water usage by over 50 percent (per pound of product) since 1995—again while increasing production. The company harvests methane generated from a community landfill, replacing 30 percent of natural gas with renewable energy.
All carpet manufacturing plants have recorded zero waste to landfill since 1999. All modular carpet products are 100 percent renewable and 100 percent recyclable. The company introduced PVC-free modular carpet in 1986, and successfully eliminated chlorinated solvents in their manufacturing process by substituting organic alternatives in 1990.
Visit www.mass.gov/epp for full details.
