Mohawk Industries has long been a leader in green products, most recently with SmartStrand fiber made with DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer, which replaces 37% of the petroleum used to make the product with renewable resources like corn sugar; or Pure-Bond Technology for hardwood, which replaced urea formaldehyde adhesives.

But many of the company’s most dramatic sustainability gains have come behind the scenes in Mohawk operations.

“Mohawk works to implement sustainable practices in literally hundreds of different areas throughout the company,” said Bill Kilbride, chief sustainability officer. “We know this to be good business, and we think it’s the right thing to do for our company, our communities and our employees.”

From 1995 through 2003, Mohawk reduced the amount of water used in its carpet manufacturing processes by 50%, resulting in a dramatic drop in overall water emissions from the company. Several plants recycle 100% of wastewater, and some even use constructed wetlands areas to filter water and provide wildlife habitats.

Alternative fuel sources have also become viable technologies. The company’s Dublin, Ga., plant switched from natural gas to yellow grease (a byproduct of poultry production) to run its manufacturing processes—reducing fossil fuel use, reducing a waste stream and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 25%.

Mohawk was the first manufacturer to purchase carpet backing from Dow made with Lomax technology, which extracts gas from landfills to power manufacturing. Many of Mohawk’s manufacturing facilities now use biomass material for energy.

Mohawk also diverts millions of pounds of material each year from landfills through recycling and reuse programs for carpet, ceramic tile, laminate, tires—converted into rubber mats—carpet cores, wood pallets and a variety of other materials. All these practices have also resulted in positive bottom-line benefits for the company.

And so has Mohawk’s people practices. The company encourages its employees to volunteer within their communities, and even gives paid time off for some programs. Mohawk supports the United Way, America’s largest charity, with programs in more than 200 facilities. The company purchases items such as sample folders through programs like Easter Seals, providing employment to people with physical or mental disabilities, and Mohawk has contributed more than $11 million to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure for breast cancer research.

Mohawk’s sustainability practices are organized under an umbrella program called Mohawk GreenWorks. To learn more about the diverse elements of this program, visit mohawkgreenworks.com.