EqoBalance® from Beaulieu Yarns wins Green Product Award 2018

• First biomass-balance polyamide yarns for carpets
• Carpet manufacturers can contribute to a sustainable future through less use of fossil resources and reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• Suitable for carpet tiles, carpet planks and broadloom carpets for contract, automotive and residential segments

Wielsbeke, Belgium – July 18, 2018 – Beaulieu Yarns, the global supplier of high-quality synthetic polyamide and polypropylene yarns, is the proud recipient of the Green Product Award 2018 Material category for its EqoBalance® family of “biomass-balance” yarns.

EqoBalance, the first biomass-balance polyamide yarns for carpets, was chosen from a field of 400 submissions from 25 countries. Around 100 nominees were presented to an international jury which evaluated these entries for their expertise in design, innovation and sustainability. A total of 24 winners were selected across 12 categories. A public voting for the Audience Award will take place from 17 July to 17 August.

EqoBalance PA6 yarns follow the biomass balance approach, which ensures that at the very start of the supply chain, natural renewable raw materials replace fossil resources in the production of polymers processed into yarns. The sustainable yarns conform to the TÜV SÜD certification standard CMS 71 "Certification of the use of renewable resources", which confirms the saving in fossil resources. The potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the replacement of fossil use is calculated in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). EqoBalance yarns allow a reduction of up to 75% of CO2eq/kg compared to Beaulieu Yarns’ fossil-based products.

Emmanuel Colchen, Global Sales Director, Beaulieu Yarns, comments: “We are delighted to receive this Green Product Award for the Eqobalance® family. These PA6 yarns offer a drop-in alternative solution for carpet manufacturers, delivering the same quality and performance as the fossil-based equivalents, and enabling them to contribute to a sustainable future through less use of fossil resources and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.”

Beaulieu Yarns offers a wide variety of PA6 yarns for use in carpet tiles, carpet planks and broadloom carpets for commercial offices, hospitality & leisure, education & healthcare premises, automotive, as well as residential.

The Green Product Award is an annual international competition for innovative, sustainable products & services in the categories architecture, work, energy, electronics, fashion, research, freestyle, children, communication, consumer goods, mobility, furniture and home accessories. The award is aimed at established companies and start-ups.

The goal of the award is to create a collection of green solutions for consumers and buyers to replace existing products with better (green) products. Since 2013, the competition has received submissions from over 40 countries. Since then, the exhibits have been presented to more than 600,000 visitors at international trade fairs and design festivals. http://www.gp-award.com/en.

Beaulieu Yarns

Beaulieu Yarns is an independent entity within the Belgian family-owned business Beaulieu International Group and part of its Engineered Products Business Unit. It is a leading manufacturer of polyamide (PA) and polypropylene (PP) yarns for contract, automotive, residential and technical applications. Its products are supplied in the form of bulk continuous filament (BCF) and ennobled yarn (twist, heatset and frisé). Beaulieu Yarns distinguishes itself with an entrepreneurial yet simultaneously warm-hearted partnership approach, inspired by an open, SME culture, to create a wide range of high-quality yarns and related services that are often developed in close collaboration with customers and always with due respect to man and nature.

Beaulieu Yarns has two production sites in Europe – one in Belgium, one in France – and one production site in China.

Member of Beaulieu International Group

Beaulieu International Group is a well-respected industrial group with headquarters in Belgium. It holds an important market position both in the production of raw materials and intermediate goods, and the supply of perfectly finished floorcoverings.

Beaulieu International Group is composed of three business units. ‘Flooring Solutions’, is a worldwide leader in wall-to-wall floorcoverings (carpet, needle felt, artificial grass, cushion vinyl, vinyl planks, laminate, parquet, wall panels and mats). A second business Unit, 'Polymers', produces polypropylene granules for numerous applications. The third business unit ‘Engineered Products’, houses the activities related to ‘Fibres’, ‘Yarns’, ‘Technical Textiles’ and ‘Technical Sheets’.

Another division of Beaulieu International Group is specialized in the development and production of quality upholstery fabrics for the sofa industry.

With the acquisition of Beaulieu Canada and Beaulieu Australia, Beaulieu International Group has more than 5,000 employees in 27 plants, 16 representative offices and distribution centres spread across 16 countries. In 2017, the combined turnover was close to €2 billion.

The Beaulieu International Group's entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ambitions make it the model of diversity and evolution within the sector. They allow it to create added value sustainably for customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders and for the society in which it operates.