The Abstra Tile Collection by Kohler WasteLAB Receives Business Intelligence Group's Sustainability Product of the Year Award

KOHLER, Wis., September 28, 2022 /3BL Media/ - The Business Intelligence Group named the Abstra Collection™ by Kohler WasteLAB® a Sustainability Product of the Year in the in the 2022 Sustainability Awards program. The Sustainability Awards honor people, teams and organizations who have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission.

The Abstra Collection is made from more than 99.5% recycled materials. From the tile body to the glaze, Abstra explores the tenets of a circular economy, inspired by nature as a model for sustainable processes. The collection features handcrafted tile patterns in a range of colors that can be laid in myriad ways for a custom effect allowing architects, designers, and end users to purchase sustainably without sacrificing beauty or functionality.

Kohler has a longstanding belief that being a responsible steward of the environment and a leader in business can go hand-in-hand. It is a core concept that guides the company’s Believing in Better operating philosophy that strives to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations through design, craftsmanship, and innovation. An initiative within Believing in Better, Kohler WasteLAB originated from the company’s in-house incubator Innovation for Good, and carries the objective to reimagine the approach to waste by finding the value in landfill-bound material and engaging in a manufacturing process where nothing is wasted. Abstra is the second tile collection to come from Kohler WasteLAB and the first to explore new uses for pottery wastewater sludge.

Kohler WasteLAB is comprised of a talented group of designers, ceramicists, and engineers at Kohler Co. who rely on factory waste as their primary medium. When developing the Abstra Collection, the WasteLAB decided to take waste conversion one step further, exploring a radical new avenue in its sustainability efforts. The WasteLAB pioneered a way to leverage the Kohler Wisconsin Pottery’s slip distribution system wash out, glaze department rinse out, and production slop sinks for Abstra’s tile body. Consisting primarily of pottery waste clay and glaze, the material is dewatered and processed into a usable base material called filter cake.

The Abstra Collection by Kohler WasteLAB is currently available for sale at ANN SACKS Showrooms nationwide. Consumers can visit www.annsacks.com for further information or the nearest showroom location.

Kohler Co. marks its third recognition in this program, having received the Sustainability Leadership Award as well as a Sustainability Product of the Year recognition in last year’s rankings. Kohler Power was named a Sustainability Product of the Year winner in 2021 for its Kohler Tier 4 Final KD Series Generator, an industrial-grade, diesel-powered generator that provides backup power for large hyperscale and regional global data centers.

To learn more about Kohler’s efforts within Believing in Better, click here.

About Business Intelligence Group

The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs, business executives—those with experience and knowledge—judge the programs. The organization’s proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

About Kohler WasteLAB: At the Kohler WasteLAB, we look for ways to see the world differently. Specifically, we look to nature as a model for sustainable processes. Through nature’s cycles of growth and decay, waste simply doesn’t exist. The WasteLAB applies such an approach in its manufacturing process, using landfill-bound pottery, wastewater sludge and other forms of waste to design and produce stunning products. The Kohler WasteLAB is just one of the several success stories to come out of Kohler’s innovative start-up business called Innovation for Good (IfG). For more information, visit https://wastelab.kohler.com/.

About Kohler Co.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of more than 40,000 associates. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; luxury cabinetry and tile; and owner/operator of two, five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. For more details, please visit kohlercompany.com.

Contact:
Vicki Valdez Hafenstein

Kohler Co. Public Relations

victoria.valdezhafenstein@kohler.com

+1 920 917-9419

Maria Jimenez
Chief Nominations Officer
Business Intelligence Group
1 909-529-2737
jmaria@bintelligence.com