DURBAN - A female entrepreneur from Cape Town has been making waves in the green industry after her company became the first luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring supplier in South Africa with a Global GreenTag certification.
Paving the way for sustainable decor in South Africa is Eva Kaiser, the founder of Evalution Flooring, and according to Kaiser, every business can do its bit to save the planet.
“The aim is to do everything in my power to be as ‘green’ as possible. We recycle all our paper and plastic and reuse as much packaging for our own parcels as we can.
“Through a partnership with Recycle 4 Africa Waste Management, we’ve also found a way to recycle our LVT offcuts and pull-ups, turning unrecyclable products into eco-bricks, which are fully compliant. This will vastly reduce the amount of waste on landfills,” added Kaiser.
Global GreenTag certification is a third-party green-building product rating and certification system supported by rigorous scientific life-cycle assessment (LCA) processes. Its advanced, robust LCA certification methodology developed exclusively by Eco-specifier is a world first.
In a statement, the Cape Town-based entrepreneur said her business stemmed from the lack of brokers in the flooring market.
“I saw a gap in the market to broker flooring from various suppliers and there weren’t many others doing it,” explained Kaiser about coming up with the concept for the business. "There was a definite need. So, in 2006, my company was born,” she said.
Kaiser says that finding a way to recycle vinyl into eco-bricks and pavers has been her greatest accomplishment.
Kaiser explains that she is passionate about the environment.
“The certification came about because I couldn’t bear the thought that my company and the industry in general were adding more plastic into the environment. There was no way to recycle when I started the GreenTag process, so I did the next best thing to ensure that my product was as environmentally conscious as possible,” she explained.
Although women are known to be at a disadvantage in business, Kaiser's attitude and approach could serve as a benchmark for future generations.
“As I get older and learn more, things always change. The world changes, business changes and you have to adapt. But hopefully always for the better.
“In the next five to 10 years I would like to see my business evolve into a successful boutique flooring store selling quality bespoke flooring in interesting patterns. I’d also like to see the offshoot of the tile decals take a good piece of the DIY market share. This would be the next step from our current flooring options available in wood, stone, concrete and abstract looks.”
She has advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to venture out on their own.
“Never give up trying, always look to the positive and when the going is good, always save up for a rainy day! That rainy day will come at least once in your lifetime, regardless of how high you think you’re flying. Don’t get caught off guard,” she said.