The numbers worth quoting in a tender
Environmental claims are only useful if they are checkable. These are Forbo’s own published figures, with the ones we could not verify left out rather than dressed up.
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Environmental Product Declarations
An EPD is a third-party verified life cycle assessment following ISO 14025, covering raw material extraction through manufacture, transport, use and end of life. It is the only environmental claim that carries real weight in a tender, because it is comparable between products in a way that "eco-friendly" never is.
Forbo states that 84% of all flooring it sells carries a third-party verified EPD, including human and eco-health declarations. We supply the relevant declaration for your specified range with every quotation.
Recycled content, range by range
Forbo's portfolio-wide figure is 44% average recycled content, with some individual products reaching 77%, and the company claims the highest percentage of recycled content by weight in the industry for its textiles. Here is what that means for the ranges on this site:
| Tessera Topology | 76% — highest on this site |
|---|---|
| Tessera Create Space 1 · Twine | 75% |
| Tessera Contour · Diffusion | 66% |
| Tessera Perspective · Struktur 1 | 65% |
| All Flotex ranges | 62.5% |
| Tessera Layout · Teviot · Chroma · Inline · Outline | 62% |
| Tessera Accord · Cloudscape | 61% |
| Tessera Infused · Harmony | 60% |
The fibres behind the high figures are worth knowing. Create Space 1 uses 100% ECONYL® regenerated nylon, reclaimed from fishing nets and post-industrial waste. Topology and Twine use Thrive® matter by Universal Fibers® — a solution dyed nylon 6 with 90% recycled content that the fibre producer describes as carbon negative. Diffusion uses Universal Fibers&sm; Refresh™ recycled polyamide 6.6.
Carbon and manufacturing
| Scope 1 & 2 emissions reduction | 80% between 2004 and 2024 |
|---|---|
| Climate positive product sales | 27% of all m² sold are climate positive cradle-to-gate, without offsetting |
| Tessera manufacturing energy | Forbo states Tessera is produced using 100% renewable energy (electricity and biogas) |
| Tessera cutting waste | Ultrasonic tile cutting reduces tile waste by 80% against traditional methods |
| Random-lay installation waste | Under 2% |
Forbo's own published figures. Several describe Group-wide or product-level performance rather than the Bamber Bridge and Ripley sites specifically — read the EPD for the range you are specifying rather than the headline.
Back to the Floor — end of life
Forbo operates a take-back programme called Back to the Floor, reporting 902 tonnes of post-consumer waste collected in 2025.
End-of-life routes vary by product, region and installation method, so confirm availability for your specific range and location before writing take-back into a specification. A floor bonded with permanent adhesive is a considerably harder thing to reclaim than one laid on a tackifier — which is an argument for the tackifier on any project where circularity is part of the brief.
The unglamorous argument: replace 4%, not 100%
The largest environmental saving modular flooring offers has nothing to do with the yarn. It is that you replace the worn part instead of the whole floor.
Wear concentrates in circulation routes, at desk positions and around entrances. Broadloom gets replaced wall to wall when those areas fail. A tiled or planked floor has the failed units lifted and swapped — and with attic stock from the original batch, the repair is invisible.
Two things make that real:
- Order attic stock. One to two boxes per colourway from the original production batch, stored flat and dry on site. It is the cheapest insurance in the whole fit-out.
- Use a tackifier rather than permanent adhesive wherever the subfloor allows, so tiles lift cleanly for replacement, rotation and eventual reclamation.
Frequently asked questions
Which Forbo range has the highest recycled content?
Of the ranges on this site, Tessera Topology at 76%, followed by Create Space 1 and Twine at 75%. Forbo's portfolio-wide average is 44%.
Do Forbo products have EPDs?
Forbo states that 84% of all flooring it sells carries a third-party verified Environmental Product Declaration, including human and eco-health declarations.
Does Forbo take back old flooring?
Forbo operates a take-back programme called Back to the Floor, reporting 902 tonnes of post-consumer waste collected in 2025. Confirm availability for your specific range and location before writing it into a specification.
Is Flotex recyclable?
Flotex carries 62.5% recycled content. For end-of-life routes, check the Back to the Floor scheme's coverage for your product and region with the manufacturer.