Proving sustainability and profitability can coexist – and thrive together
When Interface began producing carpet tiles in the 1970s, it was a business built on innovation and design. However, under the leadership of founder Ray Anderson, the company evolved into something far more radical—a pioneer of the sustainable business movement. Today, Interface is recognised globally for embedding environmental responsibility into the heart of its business model, demonstrating that profitability and planet-positive progress can go hand in hand.
A mission reborn: From “take-make-waste” to “Mission Zero”
In 1994, Ray Anderson had what he called a “spear in the chest” moment. He realised that Interface’s traditional linear manufacturing model was contributing to the environmental crisis. That realisation sparked Mission Zero, a bold pledge to eliminate any negative impact Interface had on the environment by 2020.
Through decades of innovation in materials, processes, and design, Interface met nearly every aspect of that goal – from reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste to shifting toward renewable energy and closed-loop manufacturing.
By 2019, Interface had reduced its carbon footprint per square meter of carpet by 76 percent, transitioned to 100 percent renewable energy across manufacturing sites, and achieved carbon neutrality for all products across its lifecycle.
Beyond zero: Climate Take Back
While Mission Zero was about doing less harm, Interface’s current strategy, ‘Climate Take Back’, is about restoring the planet. This next-generation mission commits to reversing global warming by transforming the business into a force for carbon sequestration and regenerative design.
At the centre of this strategy are carbon-negative materials and biomimetic innovation. The company’s CQuest
Bio and CQuestBioX backings use bio-based and recycled materials to store more carbon than they emit, turning every carpet tile into a miniature carbon sink.
Interface has also extended these principles to its resilient flooring ranges, including nora® rubber flooring and LVT, showing that climate-positive design can scale across product lines without compromising aesthetics or performance.
Circularity in action: Closed loops and transparent supply chains
Interface’s ReEntry® programme exemplifies its circular economy leadership. The initiative collects used carpet tiles and recycles them into new products, diverting millions of kilograms of waste from landfill each year.
Transparency sits at the core of Interface’s sustainability promise. The company provides Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for all products and participates in the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), aligning its decarbonisation goals with a 1.5°C pathway. Its partnership approach, working with suppliers to lower Scope 3 emissions and increase recycled content, ensures progress extends beyond Interface’s own operations.
Collaborating for systems change
Interface continues to collaborate with industry peers, scientists, and NGOs to accelerate system-wide change. The company is a founding member of NextWave Plastics, working to integrate ocean-bound plastic into supply chains, and a partner of Project Drawdown, advancing scalable climate solutions.
These collaborations demonstrate that collective action is key to achieving a regenerative economy. By combining transparency, innovation, and advocacy, Interface continues to inspire a new generation of businesses to go beyond compliance and embrace climate leadership as a core strategy.
Looking ahead
Interface’s journey proves that sustainability is a catalyst for innovation, trust, and long-term growth. By embedding circular design and carbon reduction into its value proposition, the company has strengthened customer loyalty, opened new markets, and built resilience against tightening climate regulations.
Looking to the future, the company is deepening its commitment to regenerative business models and measurable climate action. Through its Climate Take Back strategy, partnerships like NextWave Plastics, and ongoing product innovation, the company continues to redefine what it means to be a sustainable enterprise.
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