Home Green Design Milliken Ranks Sixth Among Britain’s Greenest Companies

Milliken Ranks Sixth Among Britain’s Greenest Companies

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LONDON—International carpet manufacturer Milliken Contract ranks sixth in Britain on the second Sunday Times Green List published May 24. The 60 Best Green Companies in Britain were revealed in a special supplement to the newspaper. Forster, a London-based marketing, public relations and design agency, tops the Green List, a definitive guide to businesses with the most radically improved environmental performances. An awards ceremony was held in London’s Covent Garden.

Richard Caseby, managing editor of The Sunday Times, said, “The 60 companies in this survey are all pioneers—enterprising, enlightened and fizzing with new ideas. All have a common sense of purpose about their corporate social responsibility. There may be plenty of environmental awards but this is the first that has both a robust methodology to measure environmental performance and a survey of each company’s staff to find out whether the green sheen is more than skin deep.”

The Best Green Companies survey allows employees to rate their organization’s green credentials, as well as assessing the environmental performance, policies and practices of businesses. The Sunday Times, working with environmental consultants, Bureau Veritas and market research group, Munro Global, devised the methodology for the competition.

Milliken calculates the environmental footprint of everything from the production of raw materials to the making of its carpets to what happens to them once they are no longer of use. Product innovations include a new cushion backing for modular carpets which extends its life, containing 85 percent recycled content that is locally sourced. The firm’s random-lay carpet eliminates the need for pattern-matching, cutting wastage at installation, and its new high-friction coating keeps carpets securely in place without the need for wet adhesives, floor sealers or primers.

Strong Employee Survey Results

Employee surveys say the company always does what is best for the environment (81 percent green score), that such commitments are at the heart of how it operates (83 percent), and that its impact on the environment is improving (86 percent). Since monitoring began in the mid-1990s, total water consumption has been reduced by 60 percent with the help of the company’s own technology.

From investment in more efficient equipment and lighting upgrades to timers on heating, from Switch It Off poster campaigns and employing a full-time environmental specialist on each manufacturing site, the firm is committed to being green and these initiatives help Milliken meet its environmental targets year on year (82 percent).

Companies competed in five categories based on number of employees and environmental impact. As well as placing sixth in the overall competition, Milliken Contract also won the competition for small companies with a high or medium environmental impact. Forster, the overall winner, took home the prize for small companies with low environmental impacts. The National Magazine Company, the magazine publisher, topped the charts for big and mid-sized companies with low environmental impact, while construction firm Willmott Dixon Group won the contest to find the best big and mid-sized company with high environmental impact. Marriott Hotels International won the competition for big and mid-sized companies with a medium environmental impact.

Milliken Contract is a division of Milliken & Co., based in Spartanburg, S.C. The privately-held, carbon negative manufacturer is dedicated to building a strong culture of integrity, innovation, and excellence, and serves textile, chemical and floor covering markets worldwide.

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