Innovations

Interface’s sustainability successes are defined by innovation. Our commitment to Mission Zero® has fostered an entrepreneurial spirit inspiring innovative thinkers to imagine unique solutions. From the inventiveness of modular carpet itself to the advanced low impact products we offer today, Interface’s history has been marked by innovation.

Entropy®

Entropy is the pioneer product in InterfaceFLOR’s i2 collection. Inspired by Biomimicry, specifically responding to the question of how nature designs a floor, the unique pattern and coloration of Entropy tiles results in less manufacturing waste and allows for non directional installation, which is much faster and less wasteful than traditional floorcoverings. In fact, Entropy floors result in as little as 1.5% waste compared to as much as 14% for broadloom carpet. Additionally, mergeable dye lots eliminate the need for attic stock and allow individual tiles to be removed and replaced without disrupting the overall design of the floor. Since its release in 2000, Entropy has become one of InterfaceFLOR's most specified products.

TacTiles®

TacTiles are InterfaceFLOR’s revolutionary carpet tile installation system that eliminates the need for glue. TacTiles are small adhesive backed squares that adhere carpet tiles securely together to form a floor that “floats” for greater flexibility, easier replacement and long-term performance without permanent adhesion to the subfloor. The result is less waste, low VOCs and greater savings, not to mention an environmental footprint that is over 90% lighter than that of traditional glue adhesives.

Fairworks™

The FairWorks product line, developed by InterfaceFLOR Europe, brings together sustainable materials and traditional skills from around the globe to produce beautiful and unique flooring in a socially responsible way. FairWorks began with the creation of an Innovations Network, a diverse group of environmentalists and Interface associates, and was inspired by the Sustainable Livelihoods business model established by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The first product in this collection, Just™, was created in partnership with Industree, and is manufactured by local artisans in India using traditional skills and locally grown sustainable materials.

Cool Carpet™

Launched in the marketplace in 2003, Cool Carpet is the world’s first carbon neutral carpet. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), we measure the total greenhouse gas emissions created during the entire life cycle of our products and then balance the carbon footprint through the purchase and retirement of offsets, creating carbon neutral Cool Carpet. We use strict criteria to select real, permanent and additional verified emission reduction credits certified to a consensus-based protocol. We have also hired an independent third party organization, SGS, to verify our measurement process and calculations. Through 2010, we sold more than 142 million square yards of Cool Carpet, retiring more than 2 million metric tonnes of verified emission reduction credits.

Click HERE for examples of our current Cool Carpet offset projects.

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Interface’s current Cool Carpet offset projects include:
Maoshaping Hydro Power Uchindile-Mapanda Reforestation Nascente Ceramic Fuel Switching Sanchawan Hydro Power Methane Capture, Flare and Utilization Namegue, Faguo Hydropower Station	Maoshaping Hydro Power Project in China The Maoshaping Hydro Power Project is a small-scale run-of-river hydropower project in Yunnan Province, in China. The purpose of the project is to utilize the hydrological resources of the Yangbi River through a run-of-river hydro project to generate zero emissions electricity for the China Southern Power Grid. These offsets were verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS).

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Interface’s current Cool Carpet offset projects include:
Maoshaping Hydro Power Uchindile-Mapanda Reforestation Nascente Ceramic Fuel Switching Sanchawan Hydro Power Methane Capture, Flare and Utilization Namegue, Faguo Hydropower Station	Uchindile-Mapanda Reforestation Project in Tanzania This project involves the reforestation of degraded land to sequester carbon emissions from the atmosphere. Prior to planting, the project area was degraded grassland, with significantly lower sequestration capacity than an established forest. The project activity will use a sustainable harvesting practice, which is the cyclical, non-exhaustive removal and replanting of trees. Also, ten per cent of the carbon revenues from the forests have been allocated to initiatives which will benefit the local communities. The project will provide ongoing employment opportunities plus training on land-use planning, conservation and sustainable forest management. These offsets were verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS).

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Interface’s current Cool Carpet offset projects include:
Maoshaping Hydro Power Uchindile-Mapanda Reforestation Nascente Ceramic Fuel Switching Sanchawan Hydro Power Methane Capture, Flare and Utilization Namegue, Faguo Hydropower Station	Nascente Ceramic Fuel Switching Project in Brazil This project utilizes renewable biomass available in the region for thermal energy generation. This will indirectly help reduce Brazilian deforestation rates, Brazil's main source of greenhouse gas emissions. The project consists of a fuel-switch at Nascente Ceramic, which produces structural ceramic devices like bricks, for the local market of Panorama and its surroundings in the state of São Paulo. The project activity uses sawdust and sugar cane bagasse to feed the kilns rather than wood from areas with non-sustainable forest management. These offsets were verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) and Social Carbon.

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Interface’s current Cool Carpet offset projects include:
Maoshaping Hydro Power Uchindile-Mapanda Reforestation Nascente Ceramic Fuel Switching Sanchawan Hydro Power Methane Capture, Flare and Utilization Namegue, Faguo Hydropower Station	Sanchawan Hydro Power Project in China Sanchawan 32MW Hydro Power Project in Guizhou Province China is a run-of- river hydro power plant on Wang’erhe River in Zhenning County Anshun City of Guizhou Province. This project generates renewable electricity to displace part of the electricity generated by fossil fuel plants for the China Southern Power Grid. These offsets were verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS).

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Interface’s current Cool Carpet offset projects include:
Maoshaping Hydro Power Uchindile-Mapanda Reforestation Nascente Ceramic Fuel Switching Sanchawan Hydro Power Methane Capture, Flare and Utilization Namegue, Faguo Hydropower Station	Methane Capture, Flare and Utilization in the United States This is a group of biogas energy projects in the US where waste water lagoons are capped, and the methane created in these lagoons from anaerobic decomposition is captured and utilized as a heat source at an adjacent facility. This project not only significantly reduces fugitive emission of methane, but resulted in the replacement of pipeline natural gas with a locally produced biogas. Also by capping of these wastewater lagoons the anaerobic treatment yields a noticeable positive difference in local air quality, benefiting the surrounding communities, and each wastewater treatment biogas project results in new, permanent jobs created specifically for ongoing management of the process. These offsets were verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS).

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Innovations

Entropy®

TacTiles®

Fairworks™

Cool Carpet™

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects

Cool Carpet™ Offset Projects