Benign Emissions

BENIGN EMISSIONS

As the second of the seven faces of sustainability, this initiative focuses on the elimination of harmful substances emitted to natural systems. This project not only seeks to reduce emissions; it seeks to eliminate them.

Issue: The industrialized world creates more harmful emissions than solid waste. Small concentrations of poisons, persistent man-made chemicals, greenhouse gases and localized heating are affecting all living systems worldwide, accumulating in animal tissue, fouling water and air systems, affecting reproductive cycles and changing our climate.

Response: Interface is proceeding toward eliminating all its emissions into the ecosphere, striving to create factories with no smokestacks, effluent pipes or hazardous waste generated. Ultimately, the only substances emitted from our plants should be valuable products for the commercial interior, clean air and clean water.

Total Stack Elimination

Worldwide, Interface has identified and inventoried 247 air emissions stacks and 19 waste water effluent pipes at its manufacturing locations. Each location has actively worked to eliminate air emissions (or stacks) and effluent components (or discharge points) within this program. As of December 2006, Interface had reduced the number of stacks on its facilities by 42 percent and the number of effluent pipes by 68 percent.

Emissions

Our goal is to have no negative or toxic effect on natural systems. In 1997, Interface worldwide inventoried all existing air stacks and wastewater discharges from each facility. Data on emissions were collected stack by stack. Interface's Chairman, Ray Anderson, called for a study of the most stringent applicable regulations or limitations for air and water emissions worldwide. This internal data was used to compare each stack and pipe to the most stringent pollutant regulations found. The study included "criteria pollutants" and selected greenhouse gases. Each facility worldwide was challenged and is actively working to meet the "most stringent" regulations found. We are eliminating stacks and emission sources through process elimination and process redesign, as well as alternate energy sources, including green energy.

See how we are addressing Global Warming

Water Management

While not all Interface subsidiaries produce waste water, those that do are working toward reducing and reusing this water, and treating the effluent released into the environment.

InterfaceFABRIC has had great success in naturally treating and reusing waste water, resulting in a greater than 30% reduction in gallons of water per production unit.

Reducing usage doesn't have to be costly. The InterfaceFABRIC Guilford Facility estimates that they will have saved over $10,000 USD each year in water costs after installing an $8.50 USD brass nozzle. Read more.

Through the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility, the Guilford Facility has reduced energy consumption along with drastically lowering discharge levels well below the maximum permitted by local authorities. Read more.

Toxic Chemical Elimination Project

The second major focus of the Benign Emissions initiative is to eliminate the use of ecologically damaging materials.

Interface is committed to going beyond environmental compliance. In 1996, the Toxic Chemical Elimination Team was formed to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals at all of our manufacturing facilities. The team agreed to target the "toxic chemicals" outlined in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), also known as Section 313 of the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act, or SARA 313. The team's first action was to eliminate all of the chemicals whose usage requires mandatory reporting by the EPA. Our steps to eliminate toxic chemicals from our facilities include:

The elimination of ozone depleting substances (ODS), such as chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons. These are mainly found in maintenance products and refrigerants. Nearly all of our facilities have found alternatives for their maintenance products containing ozone depleting substances and all facilities have been instructed to replace their ozone depleting refrigerants with upgraded units as soon as the old units are no longer functional.
The elimination of volatile chlorinated chemicals. Volatile chlorinated chemicals are still very prevalent in many of the necessary cooling and refrigeration chemicals that we use; however, we are actively seeking alternatives and additional ways to eliminate the use of these products altogether.
The elimination of all SARA 313 chemicals, including those we use that do not require mandatory reporting. This step will require intensive interaction between the Toxic Chemical Elimination Team, the facilities involved, and our suppliers.
Reducing the number of our suppliers. This step gives each facility more accurate and efficient tracking capabilities concerning the types of toxic chemicals that enter our facilities. Decreasing the number of our suppliers will also open the lines of communication and allow for better collaboration on these types of initiatives.

Case in Point

The InterfaceFABRIC Dyehouse in Guilford, Maine constantly evaluates their chemical processes in the interest of using more environmentally benign chemicals and processes. They have been very successful in their efforts. Read more.
InterfaceFABRIC was one of four Maine companies that pioneered the State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection's Step Up Program. Read more.
InterfaceFLOR Commercial Canada has successfully eliminated the use of all nine of Canada's listed hazardous compounds, and has eliminated all non-sanitary water effluents.

Indoor Air Quality

Interface is a leader in research and innovation surrounding indoor air quality (IAQ). Our activities in this area include:

Aggressively addressing IAQ in all of our market sectors and product lines, with special emphasis on occupant well-being and productivity
Founding the Envirosense® Consortium, a nonprofit partnership of companies focused on IAQ solutions and strategies
Advocating solid engineering and design principles, responsible product specifications, preventative operations and maintenance techniques, and concern for the collective impact our systems have on the biosphere
Actively participating in the development of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED™(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Building Rating Program; the building industry's first standard for green buildings as well as the Green Building Council of Australia's GreenStar™ program
Employing the most talented scientists, specializing in chemistry, microbiology and recycling technology in our own R&D laboratories
Offering positive product solutions in difficult environments through the Intersept® antimicrobial preservative technology
Focusing on technologies to improve structural performance and maintenance-friendly design
Committing to identification and use of the most benign chemical solutions in product manufacture, installation and maintenance
Offering products that meet the Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus Test Protocol, State of Washington Protocol, and the U.S. General Service Administration's (GSA's) Antimicrobial Certification, Australia’s Good Environmental Choice Label, Canada’s Environmental Choice™ Label and Europe’s Gemeinschaft Umweltfreundlicher Teppichboden (GUT) registration

Minimizing Our Effect on Climate Change

Interface led the industry with the introduction of the world's first "climate neutral" product in 1999. In 2002, Interface was the first company to offer a unique no/low cost option designed to offset the impact of global warming for the complete life cycle of a carpet product. The Cool Carpet™ Option is a unique environmental attribute, offered on carpet made by the Interface brands in the U.S., Canada and Europe. For more information on Cool Carpet, click, here.

For more information on Interface's Climate Change Initiatives in Resource Efficient Transportation, click here.