Interface
Net zero is not enough, let's make the world better
Interface is a world-leading modular flooring company with a fully integrated collection of carpet tiles and resilient flooring. Its modular system helps customers create interior spaces while positively impacting the people who use them and our planet. It seeks to create "a more beautiful world, with people and environment in harmony" with a mission, "Climate Take Back", focused on running business in a way that is restorative to the planet and creates a climate fit for life.
Interface is widely recognised as a global leader in sustainability and a trailblazer in environmentally responsible business practices.
Founded in 1973 by Ray Anderson in LaGrange (Georgia, USA) Interface began as a modest American manufacturer of carpet tiles—a business that was almost entirely traditional in both its operations and environmental outlook.
Over the decades, however, the company evolved dramatically, becoming a global innovator not only in modular flooring but also in sustainable business models, circular economy practices, and regenerative thinking. Today,
Interface is more than a flooring manufacturer; it is a symbol of what businesses can achieve when they commit to purpose-driven transformation.
Early Growth
Ray Anderson launched Interface in response to the growing commercial demand for carpet tiles in the United States—a trend he had observed in Europe. Initially, the business focused on manufacturing and distributing modular carpets, which were especially popular in corporate office environments.
The business grew steadily throughout the 1980s and early 1990s through acquisitions, expanding its global footprint into Europe and Asia, and gaining market share in the commercial interiors sector. The company’s innovative approach to carpet tile design—emphasizing flexibility, durability, and easy replacement—helped differentiate it from traditional wall-to-wall carpet providers.
But Interface’s greatest transformation began not with a new product or market expansion, but with a profound shift in its founder’s thinking. In 1994, Ray Anderson experienced what he later called his “spear in the chest” moment. Preparing for a speech on the company’s environmental vision, he was struck by the realization that Interface, like most industrial companies, was contributing heavily to environmental degradation.
Inspired by Paul Hawken’s book The Ecology of Commerce, Anderson began to question the very foundation of the industrial model and initiated a radical shift in Interface’s purpose—from a petroleum-intensive manufacturer to a company committed to becoming environmentally restorative.
Sustainability as strategy
This epiphany marked the beginning of what Interface called “Mission Zero”—a bold corporate promise to eliminate any negative impact the company had on the environment by 2020. At the time, this seemed not only ambitious but perhaps even naïve. However, under Anderson’s leadership, Interface undertook sweeping changes: rethinking materials, redesigning products, reengineering processes, and working across its supply chain to decarbonize and reduce waste.
The company focused on seven fronts: eliminating waste, reducing emissions, using renewable energy, closing the loop on materials, resource-efficient transportation, sensitizing stakeholders, and redesigning commerce. Each area became a platform for innovation.
Interface began to replace virgin nylon with recycled fibers and experimented with bio-based materials. It overhauled manufacturing processes to minimize energy and water use. It created new recycling partnerships and product take-back programs, such as ReEntry™, which collected used carpet tiles for recycling or reuse. Even design was reimagined through the lens of biomimicry, notably in its Nature-Inspired Flooring collections, which mimicked organic patterns to reduce visible wear and waste.
Interface also sought to use its influence to transform the industry. It opened its processes to others, shared best practices, and advocated for green building standards. It was one of the first companies to align its innovation strategy with the principles of circular economy, focusing not only on reducing environmental harm but regenerating ecosystems and building long-term value. By 2019, Interface had reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing by 96%, used 89% renewable energy across its global operations, and sourced 60% of raw materials from recycled or bio-based sources.
Innovation and growth
While sustainability defined its purpose, Interface remained commercially agile and innovative. It expanded its product portfolio beyond carpet tiles to include resilient flooring products such as luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and rubber flooring through its acquisition of Nora Systems in 2018. These expansions allowed Interface to serve broader markets—education, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and more—with integrated flooring systems designed for aesthetics, durability, and environmental performance.
Interface was also early to embrace the convergence of sustainability and digital technology. Its design platform and tools allowed architects and designers to customize flooring solutions while visualizing environmental impacts. Its commitment to transparency and third-party certifications—such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and Cradle to Cradle—positioned the company as a trusted partner in green building projects worldwide. Interface flooring has been installed in iconic sustainable buildings and certified LEED and WELL projects around the globe.
The company’s commercial success and environmental leadership proved that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive. Throughout the 2010s, Interface consistently ranked as one of the most sustainable companies globally and outperformed many peers in market value and customer loyalty. Its integrated approach to business strategy, product design, supply chain management, and environmental performance became a benchmark in the corporate sustainability world.
From sustainability to regeneration
After achieving most of its Mission Zero goals by 2020, Interface launched a new and even more ambitious phase: “Climate Take Back.” This program commits the company to go beyond neutrality and actively reverse global warming. It reflects a shift from being less bad to doing more good—from reducing footprints to creating positive handprints.
A key part of this vision is the development of carbon-negative products. In 2020, Interface introduced the world’s first carbon-negative carpet tile, using materials and processes that sequester more carbon than they emit over the product’s life cycle. This was made possible through innovation in yarn systems, backing materials, and supply chain partnerships that embedded carbon in safe, durable forms rather than releasing it into the atmosphere.
Interface also integrates nature-based solutions into its operations and partnerships, such as investing in regenerative agriculture and supporting ocean plastic clean-up. Its Net-Works™ initiative, launched in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London and later acquired by Aquafil, helped coastal communities collect discarded fishing nets for recycling into carpet fiber—reducing ocean plastic, providing income for communities, and creating circular supply chains.
The company’s embrace of regenerative principles—repairing ecosystems, revitalizing communities, and restoring balance—places it in the vanguard of next-generation sustainable businesses. It seeks to inspire other companies to adopt similar mindsets and collaborate on systemic change.
Leadership, culture, and impact
Interface’s transformation has always been grounded in values-led leadership. Ray Anderson, until his death in 2011, remained a passionate advocate for environmental stewardship, and his legacy continues to inspire both within and beyond Interface. Subsequent CEOs have carried forward this mission, embedding sustainability into the company’s DNA rather than treating it as a separate function. Today, the company’s leadership is committed to integrating ESG principles across all aspects of performance—from diversity and inclusion to supplier engagement and community outreach.
Internally, Interface nurtures a strong culture of purpose, creativity, and innovation. Employees are empowered to contribute ideas and align their roles with broader environmental and social goals. Training programs, design sprints, and cross-functional teams are used to keep the sustainability agenda dynamic and integrated.
Interface also measures and reports its progress with unusual clarity and transparency. It has consistently published corporate sustainability reports with science-based targets and has been recognized by CDP, Corporate Knights, and others for leadership in climate performance.
Inspiring others
Interface is one of the most compelling examples of a company that has redefined its purpose and business model around sustainability—not as a constraint but as a catalyst for innovation, value creation, and leadership. From its modest beginnings as a carpet tile manufacturer to a regenerative business that helps reverse global warming, Interface exemplifies how a business can succeed commercially while advancing human and planetary well-being. Its journey continues to inspire other organizations to think differently about their impact, their legacy, and the future they are helping to create.