Interface: circular carpet tiles

In 1994, Interface made a public commitment to become restorative by 2020. Since then, nature has been a mentor for Interface on its sustainability journey, driving the organisation to be more circular by applying biomimicry
Type of organisation or company
Country
Netherlands
City
Scherpenzeel
Language for original content
Project elaborated in partnership
Yes
Submitted by
Interface
Ongoing
Yes
Type of funding
Description

Interface manufactures carpet tiles which are designed to be circular.

Their ReEntry® programme was rolled out in 1995. It collects old carpet tiles and assesses them to identify the best solution. There are three cascading options:

  • Reuse, via local charities, social enterprises and businesses
  • Recycle: they are recycled into new carpet tiles and high-performance engineered plastics.
  • Recover: the tiles are used for waste from energy.

That's it: they have effectively incorporated circular economy principles into their business model!

Main activity field
Main results

By providing options for end of life management of their carpet tiles, Interface reduces the amount of waste generated and loops materials back into their production cycle.

They also facilitate reuse by having some of their tiles designed to be randomly laid.