November 18, 2005—Oil was only $18 a barrel in 1994 when Ray Anderson, founder and chairman of global carpet manufacturer Interface, Inc., challenged the company to find “a better way to a bigger profit.”
Recognizing that sustainable manufacturing processes were both the right and smart path to pursue, Interface embarked on a whole-systems approach to improving processes and products. Making up 40-60% of a finished carpet tile product is vinyl backing, a petroleum and energy intensive component. Finding an alternative to this high performance backing was not as interesting to Interface as was finding a more efficient way to produce it.
In development for more than five years and coming on line now is a new, flexible-inputs backing line at the company’s LaGrange, Ga., manufacturing facility. Using next-generation thermoplastic technology, the custom-designed backing line from Germany will dramatically improve the company’s ability to keep reclaimed and waste carpet in the ‘technical loop,’ and further open Interface open to exploring other plastics and polymers as inputs, with the ultimate potential of diverting more than 20 million pounds of plastics from the landfill every year, the company says.
For more information, contact Interface Flooring and also see its ad on FMLink.
