IWBI granted the license to Milliken, an IWBI member, following a third-party document review that confirmed the company’s floor covering products and features met license requirements.

“From the very early days of the establishment of the IWBI, and the emergence of WELL Certification across the industry, Milliken has always been an incredible partner of IWBI and really taken a leadership position,” shares Jack Noonan, Vice President, Asia Pacific, International WELL Building Institute. “Milliken has a leadership role in the wider community: it is always striving, to not only be a leader in the marketplace, but also to be an organisation for good.”

This ethos has been a constant for Milliken as early adopters of sustainability as an agent for change. Indeed, Milliken has a history of environmental stewardship spanning more than 100 years and its floor covering collections are among a diverse range of products that meet eligibility requirements for the Works with WELL trademark license.

Milliken’s commitment to advancing products and solutions that support human health and well-being is long-standing. “From calmer spaces to better air quality and less fatigue, flooring significantly influences how we experience indoor spaces,” said Sarah Enaharo, Director of Global Sustainability, Health, and Wellness for Milliken’s floor covering business.

With more than 800 product options listed, Milliken’s modular flooring works to support the following WELL Building Standard concepts: Air, Water, Material, Movement and Mind. As such, Milliken carpet tiles, provide an aesthetic design element that delivers impressive performance. Manufactured on Milliken’s patented WellBAC® Cushion Backing (which is standard on all Milliken products), the carpet is ergonomically designed to create 24 per cent less strain on joints, improve air quality, and improve acoustics by up to 50 per cent in comparison to conventional carpet finishes.

“There has been an explosion of interest in healthy building practices and interventions, with a strong focus on people-first places. It’s not enough to be energy efficient, it is necessary to create great places for people, while also being energy efficient,” shares Noonan, who notes an increase from 750 projects seeking WELL Certification in 2017 to the current 75,000 projects across 137 countries, as a testament to the authentic to the authentic global shift towards sustainability.

This is an advocacy shared by Milliken “aligning with WELL Building Standards and collaborating with members of the IWBI network to bring about meaningful progress is the kind of collective effort it will take to create spaces that support health and wellness for all communities” says Enaharo.

As a global platform, the Works with WELL Directory enables specifiers to easily find manufacturers that align with their ethos and sustainability needs. Effectively the Works with WELL Directory gives recognition that the product contributes to achieving of the specific strategies outlined in the WELL Building Standard (WELL).

The process to gain Works with WELL accreditation, however, is one of extreme enquiry and proof, with absolutely no “greenwashing” or “well-washing”, as Noonan explains: “The WELL standard is supported by a separate global team of advisors for each one of the ten concepts.” Once endorsed, the WELL standard itself is open access. “All the research for each of the interventions within the standard is publicly available. And we list all the research and the background as to why that particular intervention would be in the standard in the first place” says Noonan, who recognises transparency as an essential component in any certification or standard.

From a WELL Certification view, the Works with WELL Directory provides a means for identifying which products provide the best points outcomes. Milliken’s products, for example, align with up to 14 WELL feature specifications, and can contribute to the achievement of 14 points and help to meet 2 preconditions.

For architects and designers planning or specifying products to meet WELL and sustainability requirements, the Works with WELL license and ease of using the Works with WELL Directory is an essential first step. Milliken is then able to facilitate specific needs by working directly with the specifier to ensure the result has the desired aesthetic while meeting positive wellness outcomes.

“About half of what we do is custom” says Shaneel Deo, Managing Director, Milliken Australia, who oversees a team of experts who work with project designers and specifiers to facilitate exemplar outcomes throughout Australia and New Zeland, “Aesthetically, we can provide any look that a client needs, while also ensuring that we exceed all the sustainability requirements” he says.  

WellBAC® cushion backing, for example, is 100% PVC FREE, uses a safe and non-reactive Polyolefin based composite and is third-party verified Declare Red List Free. It is also 100% recyclable at its end of life, with the felt layer made from recycled polyester PET (every square carpet tile uses 5 recycled water bottles). Additionally, the open-cell and non-reactive backing allows the floor to breathe and moisture to evaporate, thereby reducing the environment for mould and mildew.

Health and wellbeing is increasingly a driving factor in commercial architecture, particularly in workplace environments where staff are choosing to work for companies that put their health first. It is no longer enough to ensure a building doesn’t make people sick, instead, buildings need to make people well with clean air and healthy workplaces. Milliken has this at heart with custom solutions to meet all interior needs.

Milliken
millikenfloors.com.au