InterfaceFLOR has achieved a European first with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for carpet tiles. Developed in consultation with the carpet industry’s environmental association GUT, the EPD provides an unprecedented level of validated information on the environmental performance of InterfaceFLOR products. It marks a significant step forward for transparency in the industry which, the company hopes, will change the way carpet is marketed and procured.
InterfaceFLOR has long used Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure the environmental impact of its products and processes, and indeed currently conducts an LCA on each of its carpet tile products. However, the EPD enables the company to go even further by providing LCA information which is both European industry standard and third-party validated. The EPD is often described as a sophisticated product ‘label’ which lists all the ‘ingredients’ and environmental impacts of a product throughout its lifecycle; this includes everything from energy and material consumption to waste generation and emissions.
Commenting on the achievement, GUT’s Dr Edmund Vankann says, “Environmental Product Declarations are based on clearly defined EU-wide Product Categorisation Rules and will help to provide reliable, independent information on the environmental impacts of building products. They provide the data required by green building certification systems and support architects in their attempts to create sustainable buildings.”
Lindsey Parnell, President and CEO of InterfaceFLOR in Europe, adds, “We live in an age of green-wash, where over-claims and manipulation of the facts have blurred the lines between truth and hype. The only solution, we believe, is complete transparency.”
“We have always been open and honest about our company’s environmental performance – our Mission Zero progress – and are delighted to be able to apply the same clarity to our products. Our customers can now look at the facts, and only the facts, and draw their own conclusions. We hope that in future inauthentic claims and certifications based on proprietary systems will disappear, with an EPD the main source of information companies will use to specify their flooring products.”
InterfaceFLOR’s new EPD is based on an ISO 14025-compliant methodology from GUT, the environmental association for the carpet industry, and has been validated by IBU, the institute for sustainability for the construction industry.
The first EPD covers the products Scandinavian Collection and Straightforward from the FlatWorks range. Both are based on InterfaceFLOR’s unique Microtuft technology which means they contain 30-50% less oil-based yarn than other products, significantly reducing their environmental impact.
About InterfaceFLOR
InterfaceFLOR is the modular flooring division of US-based Interface Inc. The company is a worldwide leader in the design and production of high-quality, innovative modular floor coverings.
Interface was one of the first companies to publicly commit to sustainability, when it made a pledge in the mid-nineties to eliminate its impact on the environment by 2020.
Known as Mission Zero, this goal influences every business, manufacturing and design decision made and underpins all dimensions of the company: people, process, product, place and profit.
Interface is now more than half way to reaching its Mission Zero goal and has been widely recognised for its achievements to date. Its products have also received several awards, specifically for design and innovation.
Recent accolades include:
Number 1 ranking in Globescan’s survey of sustainability experts
The Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development, both in 2002 and 2008
Sustainable Manufacturer of the Year, UK Green Building Council and Building Magazine, 2009
Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis (German Sustainability Award), 2009
Product of the Year for The Versaflex System, Mixology North 2009
For further information, visit www.interfaceflor.eu and www.interfaceglobal.com
About GUT (Die Gemeinschaft umweltfreundlicher Teppichboden)
Since the early 1990s, the European carpet industry has taken the lead by creating GUT and by continuously raising its environmental standards. GUT members in the European carpet industry are committed to act in an environmentally responsible way. They have signed “a contract with the environment.” In co-operation with officially recognised test houses across Europe, GUT continuously tests products against the highest standards. What’s more, GUT promotes environmentally friendly solutions for carpet installation and disseminates objective information on all carpet related issues. This is summarised in its slogan: Carpets tested for a better living environment.
About IBU (Das Institut Bauen und Umwelt)
IBU was created out of an initiative of manufacturers of construction products who decided to support the demand for more sustainability in the construction sector. Its focus is on convincing everyone that sustainability is the right choice. IBU´s environmental product labels were created in close cooperation with construction and environmental authorities in Germany and international standardization processes.
IBU is currently the only organisation in Germany that consistently certifies based on international standards.
