Interface Looking Ahead

Anderson has set the company on the path toward sustainability. Awakened only within the past two years to environmental concerns, he is embarking on what may be one of the most exciting corporate environmental initiatives ever.

The $800 million per year company, which produces 40% of the world’s carpet tile, currently uses approximately one pound of petroleum for each dollar it earns. By the year 2000—or as soon thereafter as possible—the company wants to reduce net petroleum use to zero. “We’ll be sustainable and never have to take another drop of oil from the earth. We’ll spend the rest of our days harvesting yesteryear’s carpets and other petrochemically derived products, and recycling them into new materials,” he said. Along with phasing out petroleum use, Anderson wants to remove toxins from manufacturing processes, build reliance on solar, and even help competitors join in this “paradigm shift.”