Rethinking What’s Possible: Bentley’s Next Step Toward a Circular Future
Rethinking What’s Possible: Bentley’s Next Step Toward a Circular Future
Across the commercial flooring industry, the stakes are rising. Designers and end users alike are navigating a fast-changing landscape where climate impact, material transparency and circularity are no longer abstract ideals—they’re increasingly non-negotiable factors in how projects are specified and built. At the same time, manufacturers face increasing pressure to address regulatory mandates and the environmental footprint of every product they create.
For Bentley, meeting these expectations isn’t just about keeping pace. It’s about pushing beyond what’s required to deliver flooring solutions that perform, last and contribute to a more circular economy. That means rethinking core materials, embracing breakthrough technologies and integrating change across our entire supply chain—not as add-ons but as best practices.
In the past year, this commitment has driven two major milestones:
- Standardize post-consumer calcium carbonate derived from reclaimed carpet in 100% of backings
- Integrate ECO-CC, a certified recycled content derived from carbon capture technology, into carpet tile production
These initiatives represent a structural transformation in how Bentley manufactures, helping reduce reliance on virgin resources and ensuring that progress toward circularity comes standard—with no opt-ins, premium pricing or performance trade-offs for our customers.
Reclaiming Value from Carpet Waste
Working with Circular Polymers by Ascend, Bentley became the first U.S. commercial carpet manufacturer to adopt reclaimed calcium carbonate in all backings as part of our permanent supply chain. The supply chain shift supports California AB 863, a law requiring carpet sold in the state to contain at least 5% carpet-to-carpet recycled content by 2028. Bentley is positioned to meet that threshold and contribute toward LEED® credit eligibility for recycled and circular content, supported by our membership with the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), administrator of the California Carpet Stewardship program.
“Bentley’s large-scale adoption of post-consumer calcium carbonate from carpet waste represents a defining moment for the carpet industry,” said David Bender, CEO of Circular Polymers by Ascend.
Turning Carbon Into a Resource
With Celanese, Bentley has become one of the first flooring manufacturers to integrate ECO-CC, a vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) binder made with raw materials derived from captured carbon dioxide (CO₂), into our carpet tile production.
By capturing and utilizing CO₂ as a raw material—rather than relying on virgin fossil inputs —Bentley will repurpose approximately 750,000 pounds of CO₂ annually in our tile manufacturing, helping lower the carbon intensity of our products without compromising performance.
“We’re proud to see forward-thinking manufacturers like Bentley take the lead in adopting solutions into commercial use that can reduce carbon impact while maintaining high performance,” said Kevin Norfleet, global sustainability director at Celanese.
More Than Sustainability; It’s Our Responsibility
“Responsibility means making hard choices, investing in better solutions, and building progress into every product—not treating it as optional,” said Jay Brown, President of Bentley Mills. “Our partnerships with Circular Polymers and Celanese are proof of how we’re reshaping our supply chain for the future.”
As a California-based manufacturer, we’ve been at the forefront of sustainable development and progress for 45 years. By reclaiming carpet waste, capturing carbon and rethinking foundational materials, Bentley is helping to:
- Reduce dependence on virgin resources.
- Turn waste and emissions into valuable resources.
- Advance a circular economy that benefits people, planet and industry.
Circularity isn’t a single milestone; it’s a mindset. Here at Bentley, we’re dedicated to designing products, seeking solutions and aligning with partners to eliminate chemicals of concern and reduce the carbon footprint, while also addressing the intersection of climate change and economic and social inequities.
Bentley will continue working with partners like Circular Polymers, Celanese and others to push beyond the status quo and deliver flooring that reflects a deeper responsibility to the spaces we shape and the planet we share. Because for us, progress doesn’t stop at sustainability. It starts with responsibility.