The majority of BALSAN products satisfy the HQE (High Environmental Quality). A COMMITMENT FOR HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYThe HQE® approach, created by the HQE® association recognised as being of public utility by the decree of 5 January 2004, concerns tertiary sector buildings (offices, public buildings...) and describes the environmental quality of a building according to 14 targets, grouped under 4 major headings: | Ecoconstruction (low pollution) | - 1 - Harmonious relation of the buildings with their immediate environment
- 2 - Integrated choice of construction processes and products
- 3 - Worksite with low pollution
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| Ecomanagement (water and energy management) | - 4 - Energy management
- 5 - Water management
- 6 - Production waste management
- 7 - Maintenance and upkeep management
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| Comfort (hygrothermic, acoustic) | - 8 - Hygrometric comfort
- 9 - Acoustic comfort
- 10 - Visual comfort
- 11 - Olfactory comfort
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| Health (quality of air and water) | - 12 - Health conditions of the spaces
- 13 - Quality of the air
- 14 - Quality of the water
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The environmental quality of buildings consists of controlling the impact of the buildings on the external environment and creating a healthy and comfortable interior environment. In response to a growing demand from society, the manufacturers of tufted carpets in the form of rolls and loose-lay carpet tiles commit themselves to the HQE® approach by the publication of two Environmental and Health Data Sheets (F.D.E.S). This voluntary and collective approach is carried out under the aegis of the UFTM (French Carpeting Associations) and with the cooperation of the environmental association for carpets GUT (Gemeinschaft Umweltfreundlicher Teppichboden). The German label GUT (Association of ecological carpets) checks that the carpets contain no toxic substances, that the emission level of the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOL) is lower than 300 µg/m² and that the only odour permissible when a product is examined is the slight odour very characteristic of a "new" product. THE RESPONSES OF THE CARPETS TO HQE TARGETS ARE AS FOLLOWS:Target n° 2: Integrated choice of construction processes and products
The carpets are manufactured in respect for the environment by optimised industrial processes, guaranteeing the lowest possible impacts on the environment : | Bulleted list | - Reduction of more than 50% in emissions into the air since 1994 and more than 80% for certain substances such as styrene.
- Reduction of more than 25% in water consumption required for dyeing the pile since 2002.
- Reduction of 50% in the consumption of energy since 2002.
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Target n° 9: Acoustic comfort Carpeting plays a significant role in the absorption of impact noises, reduced by 25 to 30 dB, whereas hard floors only reduce them by 5 to 15 dB. The carpet is therefore an excellent sound insulator, particularly suitable for public places (restaurants, schools, open-plan offices...) and for private homes. Target n° 10: Visual comfort The softness of the carpet and the richness of its colours and structures provide a decoration perfectly adapted to traditional or more contemporary settings. By their modularity, the carpet tiles offer infinite possibilities both of layout (traditional, one-way, random), and of structure and harmony of colours. They enable you to be as bold as you like and give free rein to the imagination whatever the intended use. Target n° 11: Olfactory comfort For more than 15 years, the GUT has tested carpets for the presence of polluting substances, and in particular for potential odours. The only acceptable odour is the slight odour quite characteristic of a new product. Target n° 12: Health conditions of areas Fitted carpet, a floor covering that is flexible, elastic and non-skid considerably reduces the risk of falling. Operations of care and maintenance of textile floors (cf guide for care of textile floor coverings, CSTB N° 3428 specifications) are harmless for health and the environment. Target n° 13: Quality of the interior air Carpeting contributes favourably to improving the quality of interior air by capturing dust in suspension, which is simply eliminated by using the vacuum cleaner. The average concentration of fine dust in the air is twice as high with a hard floor covering than with a fitted carpet. The emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) fulfil current requirements for the quality of interior air and are much lower, for example, than the threshold of the European draft standard of reference PR IN 1552. The following harmful substances are no longer used: formaldehyde, heavy metals, Tributyl Tin (TBT), etc. Aesthetic and comfortable, resistant and healthy, carpet in rolls and loose-lay carpet tiles improve the environment of the buildings and contribute to a better quality of life of their occupants. | 
Plain carpets
Patterned carpets
Carpet tiles
