Towards green carpet floors

One of the world's largest manufacturers of modular commercial carpets, Interface Inc. claims to be a leader in industrial ecology. With a presence in 110 countries and 33 manufacturing facilities, Interface has the vision to become the world's first environmentally restorative company by 2020.

In the last 10 years the company has been striving towards reducing the negative impact of non-biodegradable materials like nylon with respect to global climate change by resorting to energy conservation and product innovations.

Lindsey Parnell, president and CEO of Interface Europe, in India to participate in the ongoing Green Building Congress, spoke to Business Standard about the commitment of the company towards a clean green environment.

How are you involved with the Green Building Congress?

It was in 1994 that Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface Inc realised the need for reducing our footprints on nature. That's when we began working towards reducing the harmful impacts of manufacturing. Today all our European factories are running on natural electricity. We are committed towards producing environment-friendly and sustainable range of carpets.

Moreover, we have installed a system called Quest which calculates all items of material waste in every factory and grades them. The objective is to reduce waste by 10 per cent every year. So you see I'm here because we share the same objectives as the Green Building Congress.

What are cool carpets that have been launched?

Cool Carpet is industry's first climate neutral carpet. It provides customer the satisfaction that his purchase has no negative impact to global climate. The total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacture of carpet tiles are quantified in terms of dollars and offset through investment in green schemes and projects.

Where does India figure in your scheme of operations?

We came to India in 2001 and tied up with Blow Plast Ergonomics to handle all our commercial activities here. We've just launched our range of Random carpets in India.

How big is the Indian market for such specialised floorings?

When we came to India the market was very small, say about 8,000 sq feet. In three years time we've grown over 50 times and would soon be approaching the $5 million mark. Although we cater to top MNCs like IBM, Microsoft, HP, Fidelty, ABN Amro and HSBC among others, we're now hoping to tap domestic corporations as well.

How is the Random range different from other carpet tiles?

The latest range is based on biomimicry (a copy of nature). We looked at nature and realised that no two leaves or stones were identical yet they looked perfect in harmony. So we decided to use this randomness in our carpet tiles. It reduces wastage as they can be rolled and cut out from any direction and so are more cost effective. Besides, they are easier to maintain.

How responsive is India towards industrial ecology?

The interest level in India has been accelerating very fast. In fact it is higher on the agenda here than in some European countries. The rising volume of our supplies now requires a manufacturing plant in India. We're, in fact, beginning a feasibility study and hope to begin manufacturing in another two years' time.