Interface, a leading Dubai-based firm with focus on sustainability, has achieved an 80 per cent reduction both in waste sent to landfill and water intake in manufacturing for each unit of production since 1996.

InterfaceFLOR, the company’s modular flooring division which opened its Middle East regional headquarters in Dubai last November, said total energy usage is down by 43 per cent and non-renewable energy is also down by 60 per cent since 1996 per unit of production.

Lindsey Parnell, president and CEO, InterfaceFLOR Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, said Greenhouse gas emissions have also been reduced by 44 per cent from a 1996 baseline.

“Our continued progress proves that sustainability is not only good for the environment but also for the bottom line,” said Parnell.

“Putting sustainability at the heart of our business has paid dividends; costs are down, our people are galvanised around a common purpose and our products are better than ever as sustainability provides an infinite source of innovation,” he added.

“We still have some way to go on our Mission Zero journey; however I believe that our holistic approach to sustainability will take us to 2020 and beyond.”

The latest ‘EcoMetrics’ report by Interface highlights how its commitment to sustainability is paying off in terms of business gains as well as environmental savings.

The reports says the company has sold over seven million sq m of its unique Microtuft products in the Europe, Middle East, Africa and India region since launching the range in 2000.

These products contain 30-50 per cent less oil-based yarn than other carpet tiles, significantly reducing their environmental impact.

The company has also sold over six million m² of its Random design products in EMEAI since 2001.

Based on the principles of Biomimicry, these carpet tiles are inspired by the random patterns of nature’s floors, such as fallen leaves or pebbles on a beach, and produce less installation and production waste than traditional carpet tiles.

The report highlights the fact that 36 per cent of the total raw materials used to manufacture Interface’s products are recycled or bio-based materials.

The majority of environmental impacts over the lifecycle of carpet tiles occur during the production of raw materials, so this is a key step towards eliminating those impacts.

The reduction of energy use per unit of production has been achieved by implementing systems to improve energy efficiency.

These include the use of sensors to ensure areas are lit only when someone is working there; replacing air conditioning with EcoCooling which uses outside air to cool buildings; intelligent conveyor belts, which move only when items are on them; and sun-trackers to direct natural light into buildings. – TradeArabia News Service