Shaw Industries Releases 2013 Sustainability Report

Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw) today released its sixth annual sustainability report.
 
“We committed to significant investment in business expansion and continued to advance our sustainable business strategy in 2013,” says Shaw Chairman and CEO Vance Bell. “Sustainability at Shaw means driving innovation into the business, protecting and efficiently using resources, and actively engaging with our associates, customers and communities while focusing on long-term financial success.”
 
Shaw’s 2013 sustainability report highlights:

• The company’s approach and continued commitment to the circular economy
• The significant milestone of recycling more than 700 million pounds of carpet
• Achieving 64 percent of product sales from Cradle to Cradle Certified products
• A continued dedication to transparency through Health Product Declarations (HPDs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
• Strategic community and education partnerships to cultivate the workforce of the future and foster local economic development
• An investment of $20 million in energy and greenhouse gas reductions through efficient equipment and systems in recent years
• The installation of a 1MW solar panel system – one of the largest commercial installations in the Southeastern U.S. – on the roof of Shaw’s carpet tile manufacturing facility in Cartersville, Ga.
• Donations valued at nearly $4 million dollars to community and nonprofit
• An investment of $350 million in expanded or enhanced carpet tile, hardwood, LVT, extrusion and distribution operations and the creation of more than 1,000 new jobs in coming years as a result
• The grand opening of a new carpet tile plant in Nantong, China to serve Asia

 
“Shaw’s holistic approach to sustainability includes a strategic focus on our associates, customers and communities, products and operations through the lens of people, planet and profit,” states Paul Murray, vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs at Shaw. “This report highlights the tremendous energy the company and all associates devote to work to create a better future.”
 
Shaw continues to work toward its 2030 sustainability goals to:

• Reduce energy intensity 40 percent
• Reduce total waste to landfills 100 percent
• Reduce hazardous waste 100 percent
• Reduce water intensity 50 percent
• Achieve an OSHA incident rate of zero
• Design 100 percent of products to Cradle to Cradle protocols

 
The report was prepared at the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 3.1 Application Level B. It received an independent assurance review by Deloitte and Touche LLP to achieve an overall GRI level of B+. The current and previous reports can be found online at press.shawinc.com/sustainabilityreport.