Committed to sustainability

In 1994 Ray Anderson, Interface's chairman, recognised that business could no longer continue to use up the earth's natural resources without regard for the future. That moment of recognition set Interface on a course that has characterised the company's development ever since.

• Our intention is to put back more than we take out.
• Our intention is to eliminate waste and harmful emissions, whilst maximising our use of renewable energy.
• We aim to recycle waste materials and reuse our products.
• Our company culture fully integrates the principles of sustainability.

Our vision

Our corporate vision is to become, by 2020, the first company to show, by its deeds, the entire industrial world what sustainability is in all its dimensions - people, process, product, place and profits. In doing so, we will become restorative. In other words, our intention is to put back more than we take out.

We have analysed our business in its entirety in order to establish, firstly, whether our goal is actually achievable and, secondly, exactly what steps we must take to reach it.

What does it mean?

Sustainability - maintaining a fully-functioning profit-making business whilst ensuring no adverse impact to society or the environment - is achievable. The task of creating such a business may be long and difficult but Interface believes that there is no long-term alternative.

Our aim

In our ongoing efforts to become a truly sustainable company, we have mapped out the key areas of our journey. These involve eliminating waste and harmful emissions; maximising our use of renewable energy; recycling waste materials and reusing our products; developing resource efficient transportation methods; creating a culture that integrates the principles of sustainability into our working lives; and finally creating new models for business by pioneering innovative sustainable commerce opportunities through service offerings such as product leasing.

We have made significant progress on our journey towards sustainability but much remains to be done. We are constantly reviewing our progress and searching for increasingly innovative solutions to make our vision a reality.

Innovation is a key concern for Interface. In effect, we are trying to revolutionise the conventional business model, and such a radical task can only be achieved if we can find and adopt entirely new working practices. Through our innovations network, we are looking today for future solutions to present dilemmas.

Want to know more?

For more detailed information about Sustainability, visit our dedicated website http://www.interfaceglobal.com/Sustainability.aspx