Desso, a Tarkett Company, Joins World Leaders to Discuss Circular Economy at Davos

WAALWIJK, the Netherlands, January 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Desso, a leading carpets and sport pitches company (part of Tarkett Group), is once again attending the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting on 21-24 January, 2015 at Davos in Switzerland to engage in the debate on the future shape of the world economy.

Remco Teulings, CEO of Desso and President of Tarkett EMEA, a global leader in innovative and sustainable solutions for flooring and sports surfaces, will be attending the Summit, where top level discussions on progress towards the circular economy continue.

Desso and Tarkett are supporters of the circular economy - the regenerative, sustainable model in which goods are designed to be recycled, reused or remanufactured in a closed loop system. - Desso has been a member of the steering board of the World Economic Forum's Project MainStream, a cross-industry collaborative project searching for practical routes to upscale the shift to the circular economy.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the management consultants, McKinsey & Co., industry could save as much as a trillion dollars a year through cost savings on materials as a result of going circular.

Remco Teulings will participate as a discussion leader at the latest Project MainStream session, to be held in Davos on Saturday, 24 January. In addition, there will be a public discussion on the World Economic Forum agenda on the circular economy on Wednesday, 21 January.

"We are excited to see how discussions on this critical subject have taken root within the World Economic Forum," says Remco Teulings. "It helps to engage new business and political leaders and build momentum for positive change. In a world where we expect to see several billion new consumers in the rising markets, we need a model to be able to supply this demand within the resource means of the planet and in a way that has a positive impact on the environment."

The World Economic Forum's annual summit in Davos is one of the premier gatherings of the world's business and political leaders.

Since 2008, Desso has been transforming its business along circular economy lines, based on its Cradle to Cradle® principles around five key areas: Material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness.  

About DESSO^® 

Desso, a Tarkett company, is a leading carpets, carpet tiles and sport pitches business, active in more than 100 countries. Its products are supplied to corporate offices, education, healthcare, government, homes and also hotels, cruise liners, airlines and premier football clubs.

Desso's mission is to develop unique products that deliver a much improved indoor environment, helping to maximise people's health and wellbeing. This is driven by the company's innovation programme based on the three pillars of Creativity, Functionality and Cradle to Cradle^® design which underpins the shift to the regenerative circular economy.

For more information please visit: http://www.desso.com

About Tarkett 

Tarkett is a global leader in innovative and sustainable solutions for flooring and sports surfaces. With a wide range of products including vinyl, linoleum, carpet, rubber, wood & laminate, synthetic turf and athletic tracks, the Group serves customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. With 12,000 employees and 34 production sites, Tarkett sells 1.3 million square meters of flooring every day, for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores and sports fields. Committed to sustainable development, the Group has implemented an eco-innovation strategy and promotes circular economy. Tarkett net sales of 2.5 billion euros in 2013 are balanced between Europe, North America and new economies. Tarkett is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A, ticker TKTT, ISIN: FR0004188670) and is included in the following indices: SBF 120, CAC Mid 60, CAC Mid & Small, CAC All-Tradable http://www.tarkett.com.