It’s flooring—and then some. Made for More.
At Interface, sustainability is at the core of who we are, so we carefully consider the materials we use in our products. We live in an industrial system where most materials are still made in ways that negatively impact our planet and our health. We do not accept that running a profitable company has to have these impacts. Instead, we are committed to showing the world a better way to do business.
We are often asked why we continue to use PVC plastic in our modular flooring since the potential negative impacts of this material’s life cycle have been widely publicised.
In an era where the vast majority of flooring ends up in a landfill or an incinerator, Interface is working towards a true closed-loop system for vinyl flooring.
All PVC used by Interface in our carpet tile and resilient flooring complies with the Green Star PVC Best Practice Guidelines.
We took the unusual step of utilising these independent guidelines developed in Australia because PVC use continues to grow despite efforts like Red Lists, making it vitally important that specifiers have a way to ask for better PVC. Compliance with this eliminates the traditional concerns about the manufacture of PVC, harmful additives like heavy metal stabilizers and phthalate plasticizers, and end of life.
While some products claim to be “PVC Free” as if that alone made a product healthy and sustainable, our system assesses and optimizes all materials (including PVC plastic) for their contribution to green chemistry, the circular economy, and the creation of a climate fit for life.
Green Star audits manufacturing facilities for compliance, and allows products that meet the guidelines to contribute to a credit. All Interface LVT and Interface GlasBac® carpet backings meet the Green Star Best Practice Guidelines.
No material is without its trade-offs, however. Meeting the Green Star guidelines does not mean PVC is 100% sustainable. We took the unusual step of applying an Australian standard to our global supply chain because it is the only independent, comprehensive standard for best practice PVC that exists in the world today, and we encourage others to do the same.
Compliance with this addresses the traditional concerns about the manufacture of PVC, harmful additives like heavy metal stabilizers and phthalate plasticizers, and end of life.
As we continue the push forward. We always strive to ensure that today’s materials and practices are held to the highest standards available.
Through our commitment to achieving Climate Take Back™, we strive to: