InterfaceFLOR Launches Just™

First product from new socially-responsible flooring range, FairWorks.

30 April 2008: InterfaceFLOR, the worldwide leader in the manufacture of environmentally responsible modular flooring is introducing Just™, the first product from its new FairWorks range. Consisting of a hand-woven tile set in a wooden frame, Just™ is the result of InterfaceFLOR working with artisans in rural India to create a beautiful and exclusive product that addresses both the social and the environmental aspects of sustainability.

In line with Mission Zero – Interface’s promise to have a zero environmental footprint by 2020 – Just™ is created from 98% renewable materials. Each tile is woven in India by Industree Crafts Foundation (ICF), an accredited Fair Trade Organisation (FTO), using locally sourced materials, such as river grass, banana bark and cotton, and traditional handicraft techniques.

The backing of the product is made from rubberised coir (natural coconut fibre) using a separate R&D process with a local manufacturer, while the wooden frame is hand finished at a small carpentry firm in the UK using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood, which is not yet available in India.

Just™ is an exquisite, high-end product – we like to think of it as the equivalent of a hand-knotted Persian rug – that reflects the quality and design innovation that customers associate with InterfaceFLOR. In choosing Just™, customers not only benefit from having a beautiful, natural product; they are also assured of making a difference by supporting rural economy in India,” said Karin Laljani, SVP Market Strategy & Sustainability at InterfaceFLOR.

InterfaceFLOR expects Just™ to appeal to the high-end hospitality, corporate and leisure markets, to designers and architects, as well as to organisations keen to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. Typically it will be used in prominent buildings and locations, very much as a show piece.

There will be 12 designs in the Just™ range, available in two different sizes, either 50cm x 50cm or 50cm x 100cm, and in either neutral, black or a combination of the two. The products designs have been developed by the InterfaceFLOR design team in collaboration with designer Niels-Peter Flint, EXDL. The colourways have been specially selected by InterfaceFLOR’s design team to reflect fashion and colour trends in the target markets.

Note to editors
Mission Zero: InterfaceFLOR is committed to becoming a fully sustainable company, leaving zero footprint by 2020. Mission Zero is InterfaceFLOR’s promise to eliminate any negative impact the company may have on the environment by considering the impact of every creative, manufacturing and building decision it makes. For further information, visit http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Sustainability.aspx.