Interface: Using Life Cycle Assessment to guide their sustainability journey (int)

Interface:

Using LCA to guide their sustainability journey

Interface, the worldwide leader in design, production and sales of environmentally responsible modular carpet, uses GaBi life cycle assessment software to understand its products’ environmental footprints, improve their performance, innovate products, reduce risks and succeed in the marketplace.

Interface has been using GaBi software in-house to track and

Commit to Transparency – Create product EPDs

cycle assessment (LCA) studies all the impacts throughout the

tal Product Declarations (EPDs) for all its carpet products glob-

improve its products’ life cycle performance since 2001. Life

Interface’s recent pioneering pledge is to obtain Environmen-

life of a carpet tile from extraction, production and manufac-

ally by 2012, demonstrating its commitment to product trans-

It tells the entire story, revealing the environmental impacts at

90 % of its products, as measured by production volume. “With

turing, to transport, customer use, maintenance and disposal. every phase. Applying the results of a LCA clarifies where the

biggest improvements can be made in order to increase trans-

parency, innovate, expand product offerings, decrease cost and manage risk.

parency. As of October 2011, Interface had completed EPDs for the multitude of labels and claims in the marketplace, only EPDs offer full transparency and allow customers to evaluate products based upon verified facts”, said Interface President and CEO, Dan Hendrix.

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New Product Creation – Ditch the glue

began working with their suppliers to support their ‘off-oil’

the adhesive presented a great opportunity for change because

courages them to accept reclaimed fibre and turn it back into

Conducting an LCA of its modular carpet, Interface realized that it emitted a large amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

In 2006 Interface used this finding to create an entirely new

line of flooring adhesive – TacTiles – which eliminate the need for this problematic adhesive. TacTile connectors adhere car-

efforts by providing recycled nylon whenever possible and en-

yarn, which is both cheaper and less damaging to the environment. Cost savings are passed on to consumers.

Total Life Cycle Global Warming Potential of a Carpet Tile (%)

pet tiles to one another, not the floor. TacTile connectors meet

68 %

LEED requirements for Low Emitting Materials. They also increase the ease of removal and recyclability of the carpet tiles.

As of the end of 2011, sales of over 83 million TacTiles resulted in the installation of some 21 million square metres of carpet.

Product Innovation – Less is more

Another outcome of LCA has taught Interface that the largest

contributor to their environmental footprint comes from the

nylon used in the yarn. Microtuft, a new product, has been designed using approximately 50 % less yarn to achieve equival-

ent performance. Microtuft bridges the gap between a carpet

tile and hard floor and is among the highest growth products, already accounting for 13.2 % of Interface’s European sales.

Risk Management – Work with your suppliers

An in-house LCA, which evaluated two types of virgin nylon as well as recycled nylon, demonstrated that recycled nylon had a much smaller environmental footprint in all impact categories. Interface

Yarn

45 %

Backing Compound

11 %

Glasfleece and Tufting Carrier Precoat Bonding Layer Packing Raw Material Transport

9 %

8 %

Production

Transport

6 %

8 %

7 %

4 % 1 % 1 %

Raw materials

Customer use

End of life

Factor 4 by using 100 % recycled nylon and less of it

By using 100 % recycled yarn, Interface tackled the single largest

contributor to environmental impact among all the raw materials in a carpet tile. As a result, the Biosfera collection unites

100 % recycled yarn with recycled materials in the backing. In

addition, by using Microtuft construction which needs an un-

usually low amount of yarn without compromising performance, Biosfera Micro has achieved a factor 4 carbon footprint

reduction when compared with some of Interface’s products

from 1996. Interface aims to only use yarn derived from either recycled or renewable sources by 2020.

»Everybody is talking about embedding sustainability. But sustain-

ability is not embedded until it is in your product. We measure this using LCA and GaBi Software. Furthermore, LCA allows consistent integration of sustainability standards such that what we tell our customers is in line with what we ask of our suppliers.«

Ramon Arratia, Sustainability Director EMEAI / InterfaceFLOR