Tag Archives: sustainability

The perfect sustainable material

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If you set someone the task of creating the perfect sustainable material, they would find it hard to come up with something better than wool.

 

 

Wool fibres are remarkably elastic and flexible and can be stretched up to 30% of their length before, like a spring, reverting to their original form. Wool’s scaly, overlapping outer fibres help to contain dirt high in the carpet pile and the thin cuticles repel water.

Wool improves its surrounding environment thanks to a natural filtering effect that reduces dust and locks Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into its core.

When woven into a carpet, all these natural benefits add durability, resilience and practicality that are perfect for the hospitality industry – and that’s before you consider the soft, luxurious feel and the improvements to insulation and acoustic performance of wool!

That is why you will find at least 80% of wool in every one of our carpets.

Learn more about why wool has been the primary material in our carpets for the last 85 years – https://ulstercarpets.com/contract/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Wool-Fact-Sheet-23.pdf

 

Ulster Carpets are made from quality wool from sheep in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand.

Marine Sustainability

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Sustainable Sailing

Across the hospitality industry, sustainability has quite rightly become a hugely important topic and nowhere is that more evident than in marine projects.

At Ulster Carpets, we are committed to building a sustainable future by manufacturing in an ethical manner that reduces our impact on the environment.

We have already demonstrated this commitment with significant investment in our state-of-the-art Dyehouse and Energy Centre and the creation of our own recycling hub to convert waste carpet into luxury underlay.

Bespoke Ulster carpet on Tui Cruises Mein Schiff Herz.

We are set to take this even further with the introduction of new technology which will ultimately make our patented weaving process more energy efficient.

Unlike other manufacturers who outsource various elements, we spin and dye all our own yarn as well as design and weave every carpet. Having this level of control gives us the freedom to develop greener manufacturing processes.

This is mirrored by the end product – a wool-rich carpet for your cruise ship.

Sustainable carpet

Whether your choice is a bespoke design or from the contract stock range, the journey to your luxury carpet starts with selecting the right wool. We use high quality wool shorn from sheep across Great Britain, Ireland and New Zealand that produce the strongest and highest grade of fleece.

This rapidly renewable material is regrown in 12 months, providing Ulster with a sustainable supply of high-quality raw material. Our carpets are a blend of 80% wool and 20% nylon – a combination that offers optimal performance and longevity under intense usage in marine environments.

That balance is also factored into our preferred backing option for cruise ships that includes a green poly backing with a minimum of 50% recycled content.

All our environmental commitments are backed by our various ISO and IMO certifications as well as to the Green Label Plus program.

These are just some of the steps that we are taking to improve our sustainability. Looking ahead, across all aspects of the company, we continue to research new alternatives to increase this even further.

Find out more about how we meet our environmental and sustainability responsibilities here.

La Pause with Francoise

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Ulster’s Contract Sales Manager, Francoise Kergoat, recently took part in La Pause – a lunchtime webinar by NEWH Europe. If you were unlucky enough to miss it, we thought we’d look at some of the topics that she covered.

MISSING OUR CUSTOMERS

Our European sales team has missed out on meeting our customers face-to-face recently, which has been tough.
“We don’t like the situation but we have adapted to meet the needs of our customers,” says Francoise. “Like La Fontaine’s Fable of The Oak and The Reed we have had to be flexible and resilient.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

One topic that every manufacturer has to consider is the environment. Francoise is a keen advocate of the sustainable processes undertaken by Ulster.
The development of our Dyehouse has been an integral part of our commitment to meeting our environmental and sustainability responsibilities.
“This is an area that we have been very proactive in,” Francoise explains. “We were the first textile manufacturer to be accredited to ISO 14 001-2015. We have also improved our industrial processes to divert 100% of our post industrial waste away from landfill.
“Then, of course, there is the fact that we use wool in our carpets, which is a rapidly renewable material that can be recycled.
“But we aren’t stopping there and we’ve opened a new Recycling Hub where waste carpet will be recycled into Axfelt Triple Layer Underlay. We will continue to review every aspect of the company to reduce our impact on the environment. I hope my children benefit from the fact that we take the planet’s health so seriously.”

THE PERFECT FIT

When asked why Ulster is such a good fit for the hospitality sector, Francoise outlined three major areas – skills, service and reliability.
The stunning ballroom at Intercontinental Paris, Le Grand Hotel.
“We have highly skilled teams at every level of the company,” explained Francoise. “Our designers are some of the best in the world and we have developed technology to allow them to translate their artistry into your carpet designs.
“After all, a carpet for the hospitality sector is a technical product, so it is key that we respond to meet these needs.
“Secondly, we provide high levels of service. Using our experience, we can anticipate a lot from the initial stages of a project right through to final installation and maintenance.
“We offer a full design and planning service and we can provide a range of resources, including our online archive, tuft boxes and bespoke samples.
“Finally, we are reliable. Our integrated manufacturing process puts us in complete control of every aspect from selecting, spinning and dyeing the wool to the bespoke design and, of course, the weaving. As a consequence, we are reactive to your needs.”

DESIGN COLLABORATIONS

The partnership approach at Ulster is an important part of our success and, as Francoise outlines, it is why interior designers, architects, managers and owners love working with us.
Collaboration forms part of our creative process.
“When guests start booking their holidays again they will want their trip to be special. That is why design is essential as it makes your venue unique. Our experience on working on hotels, casinos and cruise ships across the world means we understand the unique requirements of the hospitality industry. You are offering an experience for your guests and our designers will help your flooring be part of that.”
THE FUTURE

Now, more than ever, owners will be looking for a return on their investment and that is why they will look to Ulster for high quality flooring that will look better for longer.
Francoise said, “We listen to our customers and react to their needs. We have developed our services and offer a strong mix between woven and tufted carpets to meet a wide range of needs.
“Our bespoke design service is as popular as ever and is perfect for those venues that want the wow factor.  For projects that require a fast turnaround within a strict budget, then we have a comprehensive Stock Contract Collection.
“As we control our manufacturing processes we can continue to develop new ranges and new technology. We have continued to add new products during the pandemic and we’re excited about our forthcoming launches in 2021!”
CLICK HERE to learn more about our design services.