Our commitment to sustainability
Joining forces against greenwashing
More and more companies are developing various strategies to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly image for themselves and their products, even though there is little or no factual basis for doing so. In order to deceive customers, false, unclear or irrelevant statements are often made - greenwashing is even practiced through misleading, invented or industry-owned labels.
"40 percent of environmental claims are completely unfounded "*
* according to a study conducted by the European Commission in 2020!
To combat greenwashing and counteract misleading claims, the EU Commission has submitted a new law, the so-called Green Claims Directive, to the European Parliament to empower consumers. This is intended to improve product labeling and prohibit misleading environmental claims.The aim is to give consumers greater clarity and more certainty that something sold as environmentally friendly is actually environmentally friendly. Among other things, the use of sustainability labels will also be regulated in future
Scheucher already awarded the EU-Ecolabel in 2023
In the search for a strong eco-label that continues to be recognized and is above any suspicion of "greenwashing", our path led us to submit the application documents for the EU Ecolabel. Our expectations of the label were and still are a transparent and comprehensible presentation of the sustainability of our products and their ecological harmlessness. The label also makes it easier for you to provide data if you want to use our parquet floors in building-certified construction projects. We are also pleased to be able to support consumers even better in their purchasing decisions and to emphasize the advantages of parquet flooring in many respects.
Scheucher has now been the first parquet manufacturer in Europe to hold the EU Ecolabel for wood flooring since March 2023.
The EU Ecolabel is recognized as a reliable third-party certification to demonstrate overall excellent environmental performance.
Depending on the product group, the criteria for the EU Ecolabel guarantee:
- Durability, reusability, recyclability and recyclate content of a product
- Reduction of energy and water consumption, CO2 emissions and other emissions to air/soil/water and waste generation
- Sustainable sourcing of raw materials
- Limited use of hazardous chemicals
- Third party certification
With the EU Ecolabel, Scheucher contributes to the general political goals of the circular economy, climate neutrality, zero pollution and several Green Deal initiatives.
Parquet from Scheucher listed in the DGNB Navigator
Scheucher parquet floors are now also listed in the DGNB Navigator.
The "German Sustainable Building Council" is an independent non-profit association that specializes in sustainable building. Founded in 2007, the DGNB is now Europe's largest network for sustainable building and is recognized worldwide as a Global Benchmark for Sustainability.
Compared to other international certification systems, the DGNB certification system is the second generation system: the assessment basis is not only based on ecological aspects, but also on a holistic view of the entire life cycle of a building or district. The DGNB is committed to demonstrably good buildings, liveable neighborhoods and a sustainable built environment.
Scheucher supports the goals of transforming the construction industry into a sustainable and we are pleased that our products are listed in the DGNB Navigator, where important sustainability parameters are shown.
Sustainability & wood origin at Scheucher
A holistic way of thinking and acting has always been at the heart of everything we do. For this reason, it is also important to us to make our decisions and measures transparent and comprehensible. To give you a precise overview, we are now able to present our sustainability data sheet.
Producing parquet for our customers' homes from a naturally grown tree - that is Scheucher's passion. We take great pleasure in the natural product wood, which we source from carefully selected suppliers.
The origin of our wood is important to us and we stand by this. Whenever possible, we use wood from Austria and the closest surroundings. Please also see our current data sheet.
Parquet production with green electricity
Scheucher Parquet meets the highest international standards for sustainability and zero emissions. All Scheucher parquet floors are produced with our in-house photovoltaic system, continuously subjected to internal and external tests and carry several certificates.
Identifying and avoiding greenwashing
As there are various methods of greenwashing, it is difficult for consumers to recognize greenwashing. Nevertheless, there are a number of ways to detect greenwashing, many tips on which can be found on the website of the Austrian Ecolabel, for example.
Sources: Scheucher, umweltzeichen.at; European Commission
Title photo by freepik.com