- 3/5/2024

Design flooring made of bio-pellets

3 min

Originally a small Belgian workshop specialising in stylish flooring, today 2TEC2 is a family-owned company that has taken the world’s woven vinyl flooring market to the next level with the superb high-tech flooring it designs and produces for buildings and spaces. The brand focuses on weaving aesthetically refined tiles and rolls for the project market. Quality, functionality and innovation are key. All the flooring is designed and manufactured from the outset with recycling in mind to produce new 2TEC2 flooring every time – without loss of strength. “The slogan 'We take care of your health, safety and well-being' is deeply engrained in our DNA,” explains CEO Philippe Hanet.

Innovation-driven family business

Innovation is at the core of 2TEC2’s approach, which focuses on more than just improving aesthetics, acoustics and practical usability. Their engineers and management are passionate about green business, a cornerstone of their business philosophy. “We find it incredibly satisfying to search for solutions to complex problems and achieve technical excellence,” says Philippe Hanet with a smile. “And we also take into account the environmental impact, because there is a lot of progress to be made on that score.”

Sustainable development goals as a guideline

To implement this ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) strategy and achieve its objectives, 2TEC2 created a multidisciplinary working group. Top-tier management evaluates all corporate social responsibility improvements on a quarterly basis and carefully plans the necessary initiatives, including budget and resources, with 6 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals serving as a guideline. “This didn't happen overnight,” says marketing manager Ingrid Macours. "The management team discussed this at length. SDG 11 'Sustainable Cities and Communities’ has helped 2TEC2 redefine its mission. Our ambition is to create floors that make it possible to build and live more eco-consciously."

Vegetable materials

Finding renewable commodities is the company's main challenge. “Last year we collaborated with our raw material supplier on the development of bio-based pellets,” says Production Director Thomas Vantieghem. "This allowed us to launch our first collection. We mainly replace the carbon in the vinyl that is woven into the top layer with material of vegetable origin. So we use a fully renewable source instead of a new fossil-derived carbon."

Permitting challenges

2TEC2 also wanted to bring its production facilities more in line with the company's ESG goals. All production was combined in one factory to avoid transport to and from suppliers, for example. The company also invested in 3,154 solar panels on the buildings and in a large battery energy storage system (BESS) on its own premises. Finally, 2TEC2 also built an optimised closed circuit for energy reuse with a heat recovery system and closed water cooling system. Obtaining all the necessary permits proved more of a challenge than expected. “Stakeholder alignment can be an issue at times and some people have very little experience with these new technologies,” says Hanet.

Circularity

A third element in 2TEC2's transition was the search for and analysis of full recyclability. “We really took this to the next level,” says Hanet, "designing and buildin our own new recycling plant. The entire process took almost 5 years. At the same time, this offers tremendous opportunities, both in terms of business and green entrepreneurship, such as recycling materials from other companies or even other industries. The only requirement is that they use the same pure and clean base material we use at 2TEC2. Our goal is to use 0% fossil-based commodities for our product composition and fully recycle and reuse our products ourselves," says Vantieghem.

Relationship of trust with the company's banker

Obviously, all these investments come with a hefty price tag. "The investment in time, research, and financial resources was huge and we incurred a 1.5-year delay. That didn't make things easy for our financial partner," says Hanet. "But BNP Paribas Fortis has been very flexible the whole time, thinking along with us. This partnership proved crucial, allowing us to take these steps on the financial level."

What does the future hold for 2TEC2?

At 2TEC2, they are convinced that social entrepreneurship is the only way forward. "Previously, the last stage in our production process was the delivery of the product to the customer. Now we have included take-back and recycling to close the loop. We have come to a point where giving products a second life after consumers use them is crucial. There will also be more legal obligations," says Hanet. "We need labels and certificates for suppliers and products and this requires the participation of other companies, the government, and other industry players" he concludes. 2TEC2 is ready to change the world.