With Novalis® Innovative Flooring, sustainability is closer than you think.
We Started with Care for the Environment
Dr. Z.L. Wu, the founder of Novalis® Innovative Flooring, saw an alternative to the consumption of natural raw materials in the production of flooring. He recognized that the time was right for Luxury Vinyl Tile – a versatile alternative flooring that could be manufactured cost-efficiently in China. Shortly after doing his own research and development, Dr. Wu established the first LVT factory in China in 1987. A new chapter in Chinese manufacturing was born.
Nature is a key part of our Corporate Vision Statement:
Through its green design strategy, Novalis® manufacturing conserves energy and resources, while reducing its carbon footprint. In this and other ways, Novalis® recognizes the very important responsibility to be environmentally responsible in the design and production of all its flooring products.
Our Commitment to Nature
- Novalis® is produced in a zero-landfill manufacturing facility, where all processing water and all production waste are 100% recycled in a closed loop system.
- During the Novalis® manufacturing process, 100% of production water is recycled, and 100% of production waste is granulated to become part of new flooring in a closed-loop recycling process.
- With the implementation of an improved low-carbon press process, Novalis manufacturing reduced 78% of its steam consumption.
- Novalis® uses 100% natural gas for its manufacturing – the cleanest fossil fuel energy available in the world today.
- Over 85% of Novalis® raw materials are sourced within 800 km of our factory, with the goal of 100%.
- Novalis® luxury vinyl flooring is 100% recyclable. After the product life span, it can be recycled to make new flooring, without pollution or waste production.
Memberships
As a leader in the LVT industry, Novalis® is an active participant in environmentally focused organizations. Through its participation and support, Novalis contributes to the progress of green technology, sustainable product development and environmental protection by manufacturing and design.
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The U.S. Green Building Council was founded in 1993. Its members are changing the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated. USGBC believes in better buildings; places that complement our environment and enhance our communities. USGBC is best known for its development of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Novalis has been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 2013.
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Green Idea Green Action (GIGA)
Green Idea Green Action is an international organization assessing the health and performance of buildings, combining the development of building standards with cloud software to increase the accessibility of healthy buildings globally. GIGA’s assessment infrastructure and metrics are used by hundreds of companies to track and communicate the health and performance of their properties. Novalis has been a GIGA manufacturing member since 2012.
Multilayer Flooring Association
The mission of the Multilayer Flooring Association is to establish standards to insure the performance and safety of polymer composite core products for indoor residential and commercial environments, as well as monitor compliance of its members’ products through third party certification of these standards. In addition, the association actively promotes sustainability throughout both the life cycle of the product and the supply chain.
Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI)
The Resilient Floor Covering Institute is an industry trade association of leading resilient flooring manufacturers and suppliers of raw materials, additives and sundry flooring products for the North American market. RFCI promotes sustainability in the resilient flooring category through NSF/ANSI standards, FloorScore®, EPD and product transparency, while helping designers, architects, facilities managers, homeowners and others make wise flooring decisions through the use of resilient flooring. Novalis® has been a member of RFCI since 2014.
World Floor Covering Association (WFCA)
The Wood Floor Covering Association is the floor covering industry’s largest advocacy organization
representing specialty floor covering retailers, cleaners, installers, manufacturers and distributors around the globe. Among its many green initiatives, the WFCA promotes education about environmentally friendly floors through partnership with The Learning Channel’s Designing Spaces. Novalis® is a proud member of the WFCA and supports its mission of “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Respect.” in the floor covering industry.
Multilayer Modular Flooring Association
The MMFA is an international platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences between producers of multilayer modular flooring and their supply industries.
The focus of the Association’s work revolves around research, development, the introduction of standards, representation at international trade fairs, evaluation of statistical data and active media and public relations work.
North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD)
The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors was created to foster trade and commerce for wholesale distributors or manufacturers of floor coverings and allied products. Novalis® supports the work of the NAFCD, such as sharing important industry data among members about trends in sustainable flooring, as well as promoting education, research and training programs to help ensure the highest standards in the flooring industry.
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
The American Society for Testing and Materials is one of the oldest non-profit standard academics groups in the United States. ASTM is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of international voluntary consensus standards. Close to 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate market access and trade, and build consumer confidence. Novalis® became a member of ASTM to promote the knowledge of standards in materials, in production and in services.
ISO Certifications
With a first-class production facility and the strictest quality controls, Novalis® Innovative Flooring represents quality and trust with its products … internationally.
ISO 9001 Quality Management System Certification
Novalis® Innovative Flooring has an integrated Quality Management System
achieving international standards encompassing facilities, people, training, services and equipment. Novalis® was the first LVT manufacturer certified with ISO 9001 in China.
ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
In 2010, Novalis achieved ISO 14001 certification, reaching international environmental management levels and ensuring the application of all green business requirements during the production process. Compliance means our operations and processes have a minimum environmental impact.
OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Assessment System
Novalis® complies with this worldwide comprehensive program for managing occupational health and safety issues. OHSAS 18001 focuses on minimizing risks and preventing accidents during manufacturing while effectively lowering insurance premiums, reducing costs and increasing productivity.
Environmental Compliance and Transparency
From the beginning, Novalis® has made sustainability a priority. Novalis® produces healthy and environmentally responsible flooring and maintains the highest standards represented by the following:
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD®)
This is a comprehensive, internationally harmonized report that documents the ways in which a product, throughout its life cycle, affects the environment. The EPD was created in accordance with standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is verified in accordance with ISO 14025. According to EPD, “Having an EPD for a product does not imply that the declared product is environmentally superior to alternatives – it is simply a transparent declaration of the life-cycle environmental impact.” All Novalis products are third-party verified for EPD by UL Environment.
LEED
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects must satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for their projects. Novalis is FloorScore®, EPD®, and HPD® certified, allowing the use of Novalis flooring in architectural and design projects eligible to earn LEED credits.
Indoor Advantage® Gold
Indoor Advantage® Gold certification from SCS Global Services means that Novalis products meet indoor air quality standards, certified to SCS-EC10.3-2014 v4.0. and conforms to standards for private office, school classroom and private residence parameters.
According to the SCS website: “The Indoor Advantage and Indoor Advantage® Gold standard aligns with both ANSI/BIFMA M7.1 and X7.1, and CA 01350. It is recognized by the EPA and GSA, and qualifies for many building rating systems, including LEED v4, BREEAM, WELL Building, and Living Building Challenge.”
FloorScore®
FloorScore tests and certifies all hard surface flooring and flooring adhesive products, ensuring they meet stringent indoor air quality emissions requirements. The program was developed by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RCFI) in conjunction with Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) and has certified products since 2005. Because most people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors (at home, work or school), indoor air quality is an important issue for architects, designers and purchasers of interior building products and materials. All Novalis floors are FloorScore certified for low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds).
The Health Production Declaration® (HPD)
The Health Production Declaration is a report of the materials or ingredients content of a building product and the associated health effects. Through HPD, Novalis reports what makes up its products and any hazards of which consumers need to be made aware. The continuous improvement of the building industry’s performance through transparency, openness and innovation in the product supply chain is the commitment of HPD and Novalis.
GREENGUARD and GREENGUARD Gold
GREENGUARD certification gives assurance that products designed for use in indoor spaces meet strict chemical emissions limits, contributing to the creation of healthier interiors. GREENGUARD Gold certification (formerly known as GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification) offers stricter certification criteria, considers safety factors to account for sensitive individuals (such as children and elderly), and ensures that a product is acceptable for use in environments such as schools and healthcare facilities.
Declare® Program
The International Living Future Institute created the Declare Program. Declare labeling is often compared to the nutritional labeling found on food packages; it focuses on specifics important to commercial specifiers, such as product ingredients, percentage of recyclable content, and possible potential hazards, to name a few. Declare labeling is strictly voluntary and underscores the Novalis commitment to producing the highest-quality and most ecologically trustworthy LVT. To receive a Declare label, Novalis submits its product content data to the Living Building Council for review and disclosure.
Mindful MATERIALS
Mindful MATERIALS provides a common platform for brands such as NovaFloor® to communicate with transparency about their products to the entire design industry. It is a searchable database powered by Origin that allows designers and architects to find building products that meet various sustainable attributes.
Eco+® Phthalate-Free Bio-Based Content
Phthalates (ortho-phthalates) are a family of chemical compounds primarily used to make PVC products, such as footwear, hoses, medical devices and vinyl flooring, flexible. But now phthalates are considered by many to be potentially hazardous from repeated exposure through contact. Novalis pioneered the development and use of a bio-based plasticizer derived from soya bean oil as a phthalate alterative in our LVT. Novalis ceased using phthalates July 11, 2014, and is Eco+ Phthalate-Free. All of its products are made with 100% virgin vinyl and are 100% phthalate-free.
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