A true-blue capitalist, Ray Anderson dedicated himself to steering Interface toward market dominance during the company’s first two decades.

But as 1993 rolled in, a shifting tide started to emerge. New enquiries from end users about Interface’s environmental stance prompted him to delve into the uncharted realm of sustainability. What was once unfamiliar terrain suddenly beckoned him.

Ray Anderson unleashed the potential of commercial flooring with carpet tiles in America.
© Karin Koser/Interface

Fortune led Ray to a decisive mind shift when he picked up Paul Hawken’s seminal book, ‘The Ecology of Commerce’. Often referred to as his ‘spear in the chest’ moment, the discovery would spark his sustainability ambitions and place Interface on the road to zero impact through its Mission Zero initiative.

Not all stakeholders, however, were eager to embark on this green odyssey. The allure of rapidly burgeoning economies like India and China enticed many to prioritise profit over planetary concerns.

Ray defied staggering resistance with resolve. He likened the pursuit of sustainability to scaling a summit loftier than Everest. To succeed, he believed, Interface would need an altered DNA: trailblazing solutions, unwavering thinkers, and a gutsy workforce.

The Eco Dream Team included authors, activists, scientists, and entrepreneurs who helped draft the Interface roadmap to sustainability.
© Interface

The audacious goals of Mission Zero — zero waste to landfill, zero fossil fuel energy, zero greenhouse gas emissions, zero wastewater discharge — were finally met in 2019.

By this point, Ray had passed away but his legacy lived on. Through ingenuity and sheer perseverance, old carpets found new life, renewable energy sources were harnessed, and production processes underwent a radical transformation.

Still, Interface’s pioneering spirit remained unquenched. Answering a plea to do more from the Eco Dream Team who had masterminded Mission Zero, the leadership pushed forward with a brand new mandate: Climate Take Back. Instead of merely neutralising carbon, Interface would now vie to reverse global warming.

Interface carpet tiles can be cut to shape, mixed and matched to fit any space requirements.
© Interface

A daring step in that new direction is Interface’s ‘Factory as a Forest’ concept which fuses biophilia and biomimicry as a core methodology. The manufacturer’s facilities, re-imagined as ecosystems, not only buttress its carpet production but also attempt to mirror Nature’s equilibrium.

The Interface global headquarters in Atlanta, United States, are nestled behind pixelated trees on recyclable polyester sheets that give the building cachet, privacy and shade.
© Interface

The Interface story is a prime example of the mutual benefits industry and ecology can reap when attunement is the relationship’s guiding force. This corporate ethos is the reason why the environment is held at the helm as a key shareholder, alongside investors, customers, and employees.

It’s a blueprint that redefines the bounds of possibility through exceptional leadership, tenacious teamwork, and an insatiable commitment to sustainable corporate innovation.