Six years into their award-winning partnership, Designer Contracts and Think Group continue to push the boundaries of sustainable flooring with SpringBond underlay
Six years after cementing their award-winning partnership, Designer Contracts, the UK’s largest flooring contractor and Think Group, manufacturer of the leading edge, sustainable underlay SpringBond, have jointly diverted millions of plastic bottles from landfill.
The eco-friendly alternative to PU foam, felt and rubber underlay, SpringBond is manufactured in the UK and made from 85 per cent recycled fibres. Back in 2019, Designer Contracts worked closely with Think Group to develop the product (in 7mm and 9mm thicknesses) which is fully recyclable at the end of its life.
More recently the new SpringBond Eco-Step 8mm option was added to the Designer Contracts portfolio. As with the 9mm and 7mm FR specifications, the new line is five times stronger than standard PU. Each roll of SpringBond contains over 180 PET plastic bottles, eco-engineered in a Z-shape structure to create natural bounce back, 100% consistency and zero lumps and bumps.
Said Designer Contract’s commercial director Louise Walters: “Our relationship with Think Group goes back several years and we have received their Gold Award for our part in preventing millions of plastic bottles from polluting the world’s oceans. The collaboration also earned us the Partners in Sustainability category title in the PFM Partnership Awards 2021.
“Using SpringBond in an average three-bedroomed house saves over 1,000 bottles from landfill, and to date Designer Contracts has helped to divert almost four million of them through its sales.
“It offers users a number of benefits. It is lightweight, dust-free, and has excellent thermal and acoustic properties – perfect for homeowners who are conscious about reducing their carbon footprint, without compromising performance.
“At Designer Contracts we’re passionate about doing our bit for the environment and our commitment has been reflected in our long-established and multi-award-winning carpet recycling scheme which has been recognised with some 15 different CFA awards and commendations over the last 10 years.”
SpringBond was the first underlay solution to achieve Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification, establishing new benchmarks in sustainable flooring. As one of only a few underlays with this certification, it maintains a leading position in environmental transparency and sustainable manufacturing. This internationally recognised certification provides transparent, verified environmental impact data across the product’s entire lifecycle – from manufacturing to end-of-life management.
Meeting EPD requirements means SpringBond undergoes rigorous third-party verification of environmental performance; provides complete lifecycle assessment data; demonstrates quantifiable environmental impacts; and meets strict international standards for environmental reporting.
The underlay solution delivers multiple advantages for housebuilders, including regulatory compliance and meeting increasingly stringent environmental building regulations. It also supports planning permission requirements and contributes to sustainable construction certifications.
That, in turn, helps housebuilders achieve broader environmental goals through circular economy leadership. SpringBond transforms up to 900 recycled plastic bottles per household into high-performance underlay, diverting plastic waste from oceans and landfills and creating a sustainable lifecycle for single-use plastics.
It also offers zero VOC emissions for healthier living spaces, has a chemical-free composition and is inherently flame-resistant without harmful additives.
Other environmental considerations for housebuilders include supply chain sustainability. SpringBond’s efficient production processes minimise environmental impact while local manufacturing reduces transportation emissions. Its long-term durability also reduces replacement frequency.
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