In Europe, Interface has manufacturing facilities in Craigavon, Northern Ireland and Scherpenzeel in Holland, as well as sales offices in most major cities.

Mission Zero: putting sustainability at the heart of its business
During the mid nineties, the company's founder and chairman, Ray Anderson, set Interface on course to becoming the world’s first sustainable business by 2020. Defined as Mission Zero, the company aims to eliminate its environmental impact.

Global Product Footprint:

  • Footprint – The carbon footprint of the production phase for the global weighted average product is down 19% since 2008.

Global EcoMetrics:

  • Energy – Energy use per unit of production is down 39% since 1996
  • Non-renewable Energy – Non-renewable energy use per unit of production is down 61% since 1996
  • Renewable Energy – 36% of energy used is from renewable sources
  • GHG Emissions – GHG emissions per unit of production are down 41% since 1996
  • Raw Materials – 49% of total raw materials are recycled or biobased
  • Water – Water intake per unit of production is down 81% since 1996
  • Waste – Waste sent to landfill per unit of production is down 91% since 1996

Sustainable Services:

  • ReEntry: diverted 6,723 tonnes of carpet and carpet scraps from landfills in 2012 globally.
  • Sold 25 million m² of Cool Carpet in 2012 globally.
  • Purchased and retired 344,000 tonnes of offsets for Cool Carpet in 2012 globally.
  • Since Cool Carpet programme began in 2003, more than 170 million m² of Cool Carpet have been sold, and more than 2.9 million metric tonnes of verified emission reduction credits have been purchased and retired.

Additional European figures 2012:

  • Microtuft products accounted for 14% of total sales in EMEAI 2012.
  • Random design products accounted for 16% of total sales in EMEAI 2012.
  • 99.8% of the products sold in Europe were manufactured in Europe.
  • Electricity in European factories is 100% renewable.
  • More dan 368 colourways made out of 100% recycled yarn.
  • 71.4% is the highest total recycled content for a carpet tile made in Europe.
  • Biosfera, our sustainability hero collection, was our highest growth product in 2012.

Full transparency
Interface was the first in its industry to receive an EPD (an Environmental Product Declaration), which provides an unprecedented level of validated information on the environmental performance of its products; this includes everything from energy and material consumption to waste generation and emissions. Reflecting its commitment to product transparency, the company aims to have EPDs in place for all of its products by 2012.

The company has also won numerous European industry awards both for its environmental achievements and for its product design and innovations.

Recent accolades include:

  • Business Green Company of the Year – Mission Zero 2011
  • Guardian Sustainable Business Award for Waste & Recycling 2011
  • The Environment Agency Sustainable Pioneer Awards 2010, Best Private Sector Organisation Award
  • Business in the Community, National Example of Excellence 2010
  • Green Apple Award, Environmental Best Practice in 2010
  • First Quintile in the ARENA Environmental Survey 2010
  • Green Business Awards 2010 for Overall Environmental Management
  • Business in the Community Award for Excellence for Climate Change, 2010
  • Named ‘Best Carpet Tile Range’ by the Contract Flooring Association and Contract Flooring Magazine, 2010
  • AIT Award for Innovation in Germany, 2010
  • A consistent top three ranking in Globescan’s survey of sustainability experts
  • The Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development, both in 2002 and 2008