Our approach to the materials we use to make our products is founded on the health of people and our planet.
A working goal for Interface and its supply chain is to have zero chemicals of concern in our products. To accomplish this Interface has several processes to assess and manage the risks and hazards associated with chemicals in our products. We evaluate materials by measuring and managing trade-offs across three lenses, including green chemistry, embodied carbon and circular economy.
We determine chemicals of concern based on a rigorous review of medical and scientific literature, regulations and market trends and adopt global goals for their substitution and phase out for all product inputs. Using this approach, Interface has phased out the use of the following material categories: ortho-phthalate esters, formaldehyde, fluorocarbons, flame retardants, fly ash, alkyl phenols, and bitumen. Determination of future materials for phase out is ongoing and is integrated into Interface’s research and development efforts.
We are continuously assessing our current product portfolio to reduce or eliminate materials or chemicals of concern. In 2021 Interface eliminated several of these materials from our product portfolio, including fly ash and several materials in our rubber and resilient product group. In 2021, Interface also made progress to reduce virgin raw materials used in the backing of our carpet tile products and replaced them with recycled and biobased materials. To achieve this, Interface created and launched a new standard backing system which has 99% combined biobased and recycled content. Additionally, in 2021, our European business eliminated its bitumen-based backing system for carpet tiles, replacing those non-virgin petroleum derived materials with bio-based materials.
Making products that are safe to use is only a starting point for creating sustainable and healthy products. In addition to being screened for chemicals of concern, every material used in Interface products must meet stringent requirements for contribution to product performance, carbon footprint reduction, elimination of virgin raw materials, and recyclability at the product’s end of life. Impacts on human health can occur at every stage of the product life cycle and Interface is committed to eliminating all of these.
In addition to addressing the materials within our products, we are committed to low-impact, sustainable packaging. Our flooring products are packaged in materials that are made from recycled content or can be reused and recycled after use, including recycled cardboard, wooden pallets and recyclable polyethylene foil.
At Interface, we are committed to product transparency. We voluntarily disclose product ingredients through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs). Over 90% of our products in carpet tile, resilient, and rubber are covered by EPDs. We also provide ingredient detail on our products through sustainable product certifications including Cradle to Cradle and Declare product labels. In addition, all Interface flooring and adhesives are certified to meet stringent low VOC emissions standards. You can learn about our Product Transparency and certifications here .