Known for its distinctive woven design flooring, Bolon is bolstering its climate-positive action by further greening its manufacturing process. 

Bolon intentionally doesn’t offer a ‘green collection’ – but it has been thinking green for decades. Founded in 1949, the third-generation, family-owned company is well-practiced in utilizing waste for its products. The Swedish company emerged from the idea of taking textile waste and transforming it into rag rugs. But Bolon is now taking its sustainability mindfulness further by employing a majority of waste material for its flooring and rugs: 68 per cent to be precise.

In 2020, Bolon made a goal to halve its climate impact and ensure all products would contain at least 50 per cent recycled material by 2028. Fast forward to today, and by using an even higher percentage of waste, the brand reports that there is ‘0 per cent climate impact in every square metre’. All of Bolon's products are produced in its climate-neutral factory in Ulricehamn, Sweden. The site itself has a closed cooling system with no additives or water consumption, and only renewable and certified electricity is employed. Solar panels account for 25 per cent of annual use needs.

‘Sustainability has always been embedded in the DNA of the brand,’ says Marie Eklund, Bolon CEO and owner. ‘This year we’re excited to implement Bio-sourced PVC, recycled PVC and recycled chalk from marble slab production. We’ll surpass our goal substantially.’ In addition to being durable, fire-resistant and easily recyclable, the products meet strict emission standards. 

With this ongoing work, Bolon hopes to inspire a greater push for recycling and sustainability in the design industry – with no sacrifice to the creation of premium products. Eklund continues: ‘We know that recycled material is the solution for both climate and circularity.’