The race to achieve a reputation as a leader in sustainability has been heating up for a while now. The architecture, design and interiors industries are fortunate to have so many companies that are eager to step up and be leaders in the field.
Atlanta-based carpet company Interface has for 22 years quietly been making big strides toward its lofty sustainability goals. In 1997, it announced its Mission Zero goal – to eliminate any negative impact Interface has on the environment by 2020.” Since then, the company has defined what Mission Zero actually looks like (zero waste, greenhouse gas emission and net water use; 100% renewable energy; a closed technical loop; and other goals), and has made great progress in doing all of the things it needs to do to stay on track with Mission Zero.
But when Jay Gould, previously of American Standard and Rubbermaid, came to Interface as its new President and COO, he provided new clarity and energy around the brand’s sustainability goals.
“When Jay joined the team, he said, ‘Let’s take a look at where we are with our sustainability goals,’” said Chip DeGrace, executive creative director of Interface. “We looked at the numbers in aggregate, and we found out we were going to make our 2020 goals. We decided it was time to start making new goals for the future – moving beyond zero to positive.”
At NeoCon 2016 in Chicago, Interface announced the official launch of its next goal – Climate Take Back – four years before it is scheduled to achieve Mission Zero. This forward-thinking culture is how Interface operates; the brand is not afraid to set new goals while still working on others, and it’s comfortable talking about the possibilities the future holds, however unattainable they may feel in the present.
Interface consults with Paul Hawken, an environmentalist, entrepreneur and author, on its sustainability goals, and Mr. DeGrace took note of a recent discussion Mr. Hawken had with the Interface team.
“He said, ‘Climate change can either happen to you or for you. If it happens to you, you’re a victim. If it happens for you, you have a great opportunity.’”
Climate Take Back is Interface’s way of saying, “Taking back our climate is possible.” Does that get said enough – that this problem is fixable? Climate Take Back puts the challenge of climate change into a space that encourages its resolution.
“Interface thinks about its entire business as a design challenge,” said Mr. DeGrace. “And design is an opportunist profession; that’s the fun part of our job – having the opportunity to make something better with design. We think of climate change as that same type of challenge.”
Climate Take Back’s four key commitments are:
>Live zero. Only take what can be replaced. Getting to neutrality.
>Love carbon. See carbon as a resource. Turn carbon into something that can be a raw material in fuel, products, etc.
>Let nature cool. Restore nature’s proven ability to cool.
>Lead an industrial re-revolution. Revolutionize our industries.
“These goals are not set in stone,” said Mr. DeGrace. “They’re intended to change and grow and move with us. We’re not the experts on climate, but what we can do is figure out how we’re going to attack it within our company.”
In the next calendar year, Interface plans to get the climate conversation rolling in the form of events and discussions intended to sharpen focus on what Climate Take Back will mean for Interface.
“A lot of our efforts in sustainability today – recyclable content, EPDs – these things are great, but they’re all table stakes,” said Mr. DeGrace. “The conversation needs to get bigger.”
Interface’s newest collection, World Woven, was created in the spirit of the brand’s uncomplicated, nature-driven aesthetic. The designs in this new collection, which earned a Best of NeoCon Silver award, bring accessibility, comfort and warmth to modern processes and palettes.
At the core of the collection are four Skinny Plank patterns inspired by classic woolen textiles, in colors that recall undyed wool with a hint of contrast. Interface created these patterns in the “traditions of plain woven fabrics made for fashion, upholstery and home accessories that are still so essential today,” according to the collection notes.
Accompanying the four core patterns are two color studies – “one soft, less manicured and one flat and orderly.”
And for the first time, Interface also included three FLOR by Interface styles, designed especially for the World Woven collection. Collins Cottage is a houndstooth pattern; Scottish Sett is a plaid revival; and Mod Café renews playful patterns of the 1950s.
World Woven’s six Skinny Planks and three FLOR squares each have eight colors and are made with 100% recycled content nylon.
“All nine styles weave together our current predilections with memories we share of some of the most enduring textiles of the past. They are simple, elegant fabrics that keep us warm and lift our spirits.”
This newest collection, in addition to the Interface showroom at the Merchandise Mart, demonstrate an understated, steady hand – in pointed contrast to many of the complex and more highly adorned introductions shown this year at NeoCon.
We’re excited to follow Interface’s progress in Climate Take Back, and to report on it for our readers. To learn more about the goal, visit interface.com/climatetakeback.