Desso, a global carpets, carpet tiles and sport pitches company, has handed over the official Take Back certificate to AIDA Cruises.

The German cruise line AIDA Cruises is the first cruise line worldwideto participate in Desso’s Take BackTProgram.

In early 2008, Desso took revolutionary steps to ensure that carpets would be safely recycled by launching its Take Back programme.

This program ensures that products will be recycled according to the Cradle to Cradle principles.

Products will be taken back by Desso after their useful life, and will be safely recycled into new carpet products, or used in other recycling initiatives.

The collected carpet from the cruise vessel AIDAaura will be re-used as a high-energy fuel for the cement industry.  “I am excited to see that our Take Back Programme is reaching our Marine customers”, said Desso Managing Director, Roland Jonkhoff.

“This eco-friendly program has been active for years. With AIDA Cruises, we have a like-minded partner for our Take Back TM Programme. They share our commitment to continuously reducing our impact on the environment and keep setting the bar for sustainability within the cruise industry”.

Millions of square metres of worn-out carpet are thrown away every year, often burned or dumped at landfill sites, leading to the destruction of valuable raw materials. By sourcing positively defined raw materials, introducing new manufacturing methods and collecting used carpets from clients, we are doing everything we can to achieve a closed loop process (from production to use and back again).

The Take Back Programme is part of Desso’s  Cradle to Cradle philosophy and vision to be the world leader in making environmentally responsible flooring products that deliver outstanding value in design and functionality and thus contribute to people’s health and wellbeing. By taking our inspiration from nature’s continuous cycles, we are able to design and create materials that will be used as ‘nutrients’ for biological or industrial systems.

By using renewable energy and celebrating the diversity of Cradle to Cradle® design, we want to ensure our activities have ecological, social and economic benefits.