2021-10-12 05:50Press release

From ash piles to a carbon negative raw material – Tarkett and Ragn-Sells partner to fight climate change

Oil Shale energy incineration ash hill in Narva, Estonia Oil Shale energy incineration ash hill in Narva, Estonia

Tarkett, a world leader in flooring and sports surface solutions, and the environmental company Ragn-Sells have signed a Letter of Intent with the objective of jointly developing carbon negative material loops. This will support the creation of sustainable solutions that drive the transition to a circular economy to help fight climate change.

Almost 50 percent of the world’s climate emissions comes from the production and consumption of goods and materials1), and the extraction and transformation of virgin raw materials. To be able to reach the goals set in the Paris climate agreement, circular material flows must be established which recover resources already extracted and put them to use again and again, drastically reducing the carbon footprint.

- Today’s society is based on unsustainable use of natural resources. Ragn-Sells is committed to bringing more resources back into the loop. But to close these loops, we need to collaborate with other stakeholders in the value chain. Tarkett is an excellent example of a company that share our vision and commitment, and we very much look forward to developing our collaboration, says Pär Larshans, Sustainability Director at Ragn-Sells Group.

Both companies share a long-term commitment: to be a driving force in the transition to a business and society built on circular economy by developing and implementing sustainable solutions that reduce carbon emissions, as well as support a healthy environment.

Initially, the collaboration will focus on developing a carbon negative PCC product (precipitated calcium carbonate) for potential use as a filler material in Tarkett’s sustainable flooring. PCC is a widely used raw material in many industries, for example in the manufacturing of building materials, paper, and plastic.

Ragn-Sells’ unique solution extracts resources from landfill waste from energy production in Estonia and uses captured carbon dioxide to produce a carbon negative PCC product, meaning that the product consumes more carbon dioxide than it emits.

Den nya råvaran som utvinns binder CO2, och hjälper till att sänka det klimatavtryck som Tarketts golv lämnar efter sig.

The new raw material that is extracted binds CO2, and helps to lower the climate footprint that Tarkett's floor leaves behind.

- For Tarkett, this project has the potential to produce flooring with raw materials that contribute to the clean-up of the environment in Estonia while capturing carbon dioxide. As a result, our vinyl flooring will have a lower carbon footprint and an increased amount of recycled content. This is exactly the kind of innovative and robust partnership that we believe will pave the way for a circular and carbon neutral society, says Arnaud Marquis, Chief Sustainability Officer at Tarkett.

For more information, please contact:
Pär Larshans, Sustainability Director at Ragn-Sells, +46 (0)70 927 29 63, par.larshans@ragnsells.com
Emma Ranerfors, Press officer at Ragn-Sells, +46 (0)10 723 24 16, press@ragnsells.com
Thomas Isaak, Press officer at Tarkett, communication@tarkett.com, Brunswick - tarkett@brunswickgroup.com - Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 96 83 83

Footnotes:
1) IPCC’s fifth assessment report (AR5), and Material Economics analysis “Completing the picture – How the Circular Economy Tackles Climate Change”

2) Carbon neutral means that a product stores as much greenhouse gas as it releases. Carbon negative means that a product stores more greenhouse gas than it emits. The carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases – including carbon dioxide but also – emitted by a product or service.
Cradle-to-gate includes all steps from extraction and transport of raw material to the actual manufacturing of a product (scope 1, 2, 3).

A carbon negative PCC product, and the Oil Shale Ash project:
The Oil Shale Ash project aims to produce the cleanest, carbon negative PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate) from historical landfill ashes, generated from the incineration of oil shale rock. A result of the past 50 years of Estonian energy production.

It’s a climate neutral production process with:

  • Minimal emissions – Ragn-Sells’ production process will operate within a closed system and will not produce emissions. The ash hills and the production plant will be located in close proximity to each other, keeping emissions from transportation and similar to a minimum.
  • Re-use of water – Water circulates in a closed Zero Liquid Discharge System and is used again and again.
  • Residues – The production of ultra-pure calcium carbonate will result in residues that are rich in silicones and magnesium that can be repurposed and used in other applications.

For more information www.osaservice.ee/en

Carbon footprint of calcium carbonate in Tarkett flooring:
The calcium carbonate currently used by Tarkett already has a carbon neutral footprint of 0,006 kgCO2eq per kg (cradle-to-gate).

With the calcium carbonate produced by Ragn-Sells, it is expected to generate a carbon negative footprint of -0,4 kgCO2eq per kg (cradle-to-gate).

About Tarkett:
With a history of 140 years, Tarkett is a worldwide leader in innovative flooring and sports surface solutions, with net sales of € 2.6 billion in 2020. Offering a wide range of products including vinyl, linoleum, rubber, carpet, wood, laminate, artificial turf and athletics tracks, the Group serves customers in over 100 countries across the globe. Tarkett has more than 12,000 employees and 33 industrial sites and sells more than 1.3 million square meters of flooring every day, for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores, and sports fields.

Committed to change the game with circular economy and to reducing its carbon footprint, the Group has implemented an eco-innovation strategy based on Cradle to Cradle® principles, fully aligned with its Tarkett Human-Conscious Design™ approach. Tarkett is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment B, ISIN: FR0004188670, ticker: TKTT).

For more information www.tarkett.com



About Ragn-Sells Group

The environmental company Ragn-Sells converts waste into pure raw materials so that they can be used over and over again. Ragn-Sells drives the transition to a circular economy through solutions that reduce the environmental and climate impact of others, and with a vision of being living proof that caring for the earth and business go hand in hand. Ragn-Sells is a family owned, privately held corporate group, originating from 1881. With operations in five countries, and 2,300 employees, the company had a turnover of BSEK 6.6 in 2020. For more information www.ragnsells.com


Contacts

Emma Ranerfors
Press Officer
Emma Ranerfors