In Conversation: Tine Pieters on Belysse’s 2025 Sustainability Milestones and 2026 Ambitions

Certifications, carbon tracking, conscious material choices, sustainability can seem technical from the outside. But at Belysse, it’s also deeply personal. We sat down with Tine Pieters, our Sustainability Manager, for an honest conversation about what we achieved in 2025, what surprised us, and where we’re headed in 2026.

“Reaching Cradle to Cradle Certified® Full Scope Gold under version 4.0 for a wide range of modulyss collections was a major milestone. We already held a certification under version 3.1, but this new version is far more demanding. We’re proud to be the first flooring company to achieve Gold at this level.

“Version 4.0 raises the bar across all five categories: material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. It demands full transparency and higher performance. But it proves we’re serious about responsible product design.”

“Without a doubt: ecoBACK PLUS. Even though modulyss introduced it at the end of 2024, its full impact became clear in 2025. It’s now the standard backing for our carpet design concepts Haelo and Plus.”

“The idea behind it is simple: ‘use less, achieve more’. By making the backing lighter, we use less material. We also replaced part of the fossil-based content with bio-based components, which cuts down our carbon footprint even further. So, despite the name, it’s not a ‘plus’ in weight. It’s a plus in everything else: lower material use, better material profile, and real, measurable impact.”

“The market is shifting. A low environmental footprint is no longer a nice-to-have, it's expected. Developers and architects need verified performance for climate targets and building certifications.”

“And it’s not just about carbon. Material health is gaining momentum too. People want to know what’s in their products, how safe they are, and how they were sourced. Our certifications—Cradle to Cradle, M1, GUT, TÜV Nord—give them that reassurance. They offer independent proof, not marketing claims.”

“In 2026, we’ll dig deeper into our total impact, both at product level and across our company operations. We’ve already learned a lot from tracking our environmental footprint, but we want to go further.”

“We’ll analyse which raw materials contribute most to our emissions. That helps us identify smarter alternatives that still perform well. And with new energy-monitoring software, we’ll have better insight into where and how energy is used in our factories. That lets us act where it matters most.”

“We’re publishing our second sustainability report, in line with the ESRS framework. It’s our way of being transparent, not just about where we shine, but where we still have work to do.”

“It includes our SBTi targets, cutting scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42%, and scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030. We also report on water usage, recycled content, and waste management. These numbers are part of the bigger story. They show our impact and our progress.”

“For me, it’s about helping safeguard the planetary boundaries. That’s the bigger picture. Even if progress feels slow, every step matters.”

“Real change doesn’t happen overnight. Some things take time, data, new tech, new habits. In those moments, patience becomes part of the job. But I always come back to the why. That’s what makes it meaningful.”

“That sustainability work is both very detailed and very broad. On one side, I take a closer look at raw material analysis and certification criteria. On the other, I explore big-picture topics such as calculating emissions across the Group and tracking progress against the targets we have set at Group level. I also stay closely connected to our sales team to understand what the market is really asking for. That mix keeps the role interesting. It’s not just one topic or one team, it touches everything. And that’s what I love about it.”

“Start small and find the easy changes first. No one needs to do everything at once. And perfection isn't the point. Every small action matters. And when enough people take small steps, the impact is real.”