Mohawk Group's Waterways Project Moves Design Forward Through Health and Wellbeing

This article is sponsored by Mohawk Group.

Last year, in the absence of physical human connection, we have felt the need to be connected to nature and each other more than ever before. Now, we are in a transition mode towards a new normal. Mohawk Group, a leading producer and distributor of commercial carpet and hard surface flooring, is committed to making the journey back more meaningful by finding innovative ways to give back to the planet and people with its most recent initiative, The Waterways Project, a partnership that will help balance about 8 million gallons of water across the American rivers. 

Along with the efforts to advance human health, material transparency and carbon impacts, Mohawk Group is dedicated to water conservation efforts. With The Waterways Project, Mohawk Group is creating a larger impact on the community and environment with a huge focus on river systems. Through new products, technologies and initiatives, Mohawk Group strives to improve understanding of river health and how rivers support life.

But why rivers?

Rivers form an important part of life, and we need them to survive. The health of rivers can have an immense impact on the ecosystem and surrounding communities. Rivers are our main source of clean drinking water, and their economic, environmental and even aesthetic or spiritual value touch each of us. Rivers are faced with many challenges, including evaporating water sources, wildlife die-offs, deepening droughts, intensifying storms and extreme flood events. The profound impacts of climate change are wreaking havoc on our freshwater systems, threatening every person and ecosystem. Healthy rivers are one of our best defenses. 

Conservation and policy solutions are important and necessary to ensure rivers can continue to provide us with clean water, buffer our communities against flooding and give refuge to fish and wildlife as climate change makes ecosystems hotter and drier. To that effect, Mohawk Group partnered with two organizations, the Waterkeeper Alliance and Change the Course, to help communities across North America to restore and protect our river ecosystems. 

Waterkeeper Alliance is the largest and fastest-growing non-profit solely focused on clean water, connecting more than 350 grassroots Waterkeeper groups around the world, protecting 2.8 million square miles of waterways in 46 countries. Mohawk Group supports the global work of the Alliance by donating funds and committing hundreds of hours of volunteer time to river cleanups around the U.S.

Change the Course funds a range of water stewardship projects, and is building a self-sustaining cycle of community education, ecosystem restoration and ongoing conservation of river systems across North America. For all flooring products purchased from The Waterways Project collections, Mohawk Group will restore about 8 million gallons of water helping customers make a lasting contribution to the health of American rivers and communities. 

In addition to the social impact work through these partnerships, Mohawk Group will be launching new carpet colors and patterns inspired by rivers to bring awareness and education right underfoot.

Measurable data is also the only way to observe and analyze long-term environmental, cultural and societal impact that extends beyond our own lifetimes and those of our businesses. The Mohawk team used data sets from environmental studies on water to create biophilic patterns, turning raw numbers into beautiful art. Data sets from independent studies by Duke University and the UN Panel on Climate Change were input into data visualization software and used to create patterning for the carpet planks.

For example, Data Tide, a beautiful grey and blue pattern, is a visual graphic representation of rivers and estuaries. Estuaries support biodiversity, protect the coastal areas, filter pollution from our water and have the incredible ability to sequester carbon. This product is also Living Product Certified by Mohawk’s own internal guidelines, meaning the manufacturing of the product has a net-positive impact on the environment. 

To spread the important message of river conservation, Mohawk Group recently launched The Waterways roadshow, a carbon-neutral tour that will bring the latest in industry-leading product innovation, such as the Data Tide collection, directly to customers across the U.S.