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| Mission Zero |
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What is Mission Zero?
 Mission Zero is our commitment to the environment and our sustainability vision.
Heuga Home Flooring is the consumer brand of InterfaceFLOR, a worldwide leader in responsible sustainable manufacturing. With our brand FLOR by heuga we are focused on flooring for the home. As a company we are committed to a shared vision and we are recognised as one of the world’s most environmentally progressive companies.
Mission Zero is our promise to completely eliminate the negative impact our company may have on the environment by 2020.
We consider the impact of every decision we make at all levels in the company to ensure that we are continually moving closer to our goal.
This is not an easy task and we are genuinely committed to achieving this challenging goal.
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| What’s behind Mission Zero? |
The Seven Fronts of Sustainability
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| What have we done so far? |
| Environmental Projects |
| Social Responsibility |
| Want to know more? |
| Climate-neutral Flooring for your Home |
| Don't just take our word for it... |
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| What’s behind Mission Zero? |
For the first 21 years of Interface’s existence, we never gave serious thought to what we were taking from or doing to the Earth, except to be sure we were obeying all laws and regulations. But in August 1994, Ray Anderson, Chairman and CEO, read Paul Hawken’s book, The Ecology of Commerce. A few weeks later, a professor from a local university gave him a copy of Daniel Quinn’s book, Ishmael. These two books not only changed Anderson’s life but also made him understand why it should change. Later that year, Interface committed to become the first name in industrial ecology worldwide, in substance, not just in words. Ray gave his global team a mission to convert Interface to a restorative enterprise; first by reaching sustainability in business practices, and then becoming truly restorative - a company returning more than it takes - by helping others reach sustainability.
We have been using a series of initiatives for over a decade to reduce our negative impact on the Earth in terms of environmental and social issues. Our efforts are driven by a concept developed within the company – the seven fronts of sustainability.
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The Seven Fronts of Sustainability
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1. Eliminate waste in all forms
We define waste as any cost that does not produce value to our customers.
2. Benign emissions
Eliminating toxic substances from products, vehicles and facilities, beyond what we have to do!
3. Renewable energy resources
Operating facilities that use only electricity generated from 100% renewable energy resources - solar, wind, landfill gas, biomass, geothermal, tidal and low impact/small scale hydroelectric or non-petroleum based hydrogen.
4. Closing the Loop
We are continually redesigning processes and products efficiently in order to reduce waste and emissions. Many of our products are manufactured using recycled content and innovative technologies are constantly being explored.
5. Resource efficient transportation
Transporting people and products efficiently to reduce waste and emissions.
6. Sensitising stakeholders
Creating a culture that integrates sustainability principles and improves people’s lives and livelihoods. We continuously sponsor educational events to educate our customers, communities and business partners on implementing responsible, sustainable practices.
7. Redesign commerce
Creating a new business model that demonstrates and supports the value of sustainability-based commerce.
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| What have we done so far? |
We know that promises aren't enough; it's tangible results that count. So here's a brief summary of some of the things we've achieved over the last 11 years.
- All our European manufacturing facilities run on electricity generated from 100% renewable energy resources, including solar power, wind power, tidal and hydroelectric power.
- Water usage reduced by 81%.
- Energy usage reduced by 45%.
- Landfill use reduced by 70%.
- Cost of waste reduced by $372 million (in cumulative avoided waste cost).
- Greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 82%.
|  | Achievements of this kind are only possible when the whole company believes in its mission and when a visionary who believes passionately in the journey to sustainability leads it. |
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| Environmental Projects |
The above measures reflect our commitment to the environment in our manufacturing operations, but we recognise our environmental responsibility in everything that we do.
Here are just some of the projects we are involved in:
‘Trees for Travel’
Where possible we try to avoid unnecessary journeys, but for unavoidable air travel we are involved in a project which ‘offsets’ the carbon dioxide emissions caused by travel. Trees absorb CO2 as they grow, and therefore by planting trees we are taking a positive step to counter global warming. Whenever an employee takes a flight for business, we calculate the carbon generated by the aircraft and plant trees to reclaim the carbon – not just for our employee, but all passengers on the flight!
Company Car Scheme
We moved our company car scheme away from being solely based on value. It is now based on the entire life cycle of the vehicle with special attention to emission levels. This resulted in a 7% reduction in carbon emissions in the first year we launched the scheme!
Delivery vehicles
Our carpet tiles are delivered by road and we are continually working to minimise the impact of our delivery vehicles. Working with our supplier we developed state-of-the-art delivery vehicles, which have significantly reduced emissions.
Waste – reduce, reuse, recycle
We are committed to the elimination of all waste. Where we cannot completely eliminate waste we have schemes for the reuse or recycling of materials. For example, our polythene waste goes to make garden furniture and our cardboard waste goes to be used in an urban farm for animal bedding. The cardboard is then composted and sold.
Spreading the Word
 Our founder and CEO Ray Anderson initiated our mission towards becoming a fully sustainable company 11 years ago and he is personally committed to sharing his vision with the world. Having undertaken an average of 80 speeches a year in the last 11 years, Ray has promoted his revolutionary vision through sharing knowledge and best practice. In his book Mid Course to Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise – The Interface Model, Ray recalls his awakening and his resulting commitment to develop a business that puts back more than it takes and to do good to the Earth, not just no harm.
Company Resources
Where possible, we try to maximise the use of electronic resources to reduce the need for printed materials. Where we need to produce printed materials, we are selective in our purchase decisions to ensure that any materials that we do produce are printed on recycled materials.
Our vision is central to everything we do. All our employees are joined in working towards Mission Zero and by working together we are confident that we can achieve our goal! |
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| Social Responsibility |
 Part of our sustainability vision is our commitment to society and we recognise that as a company it is our duty to put something back into local communities around the world.
Employees are encouraged to get involved in charitable projects and the company offers support to a wide range of charitable organisations.
On a Global Level
As a company, we raised $78,000 towards the Tsunami fund following the devastating events of 2005. Donations were split between the following four organisations: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Save the Children, UNICEF and Habitat for Humanity. In addition to the monetary donations, our business division in Thailand developed a programme for donating second quality carpet tiles to charitable organisations involved in the rebuilding programme following the disaster.
On a Community Level
In 2005, Interface supported a volunteer programme in Ghana, West Africa providing kit and equipment for a school sports coaching scheme. The volunteers involved also worked on an AIDS education programme alongside the sports coaching, in schools in the Accra area. |
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| Want to know more? |
If you want to know more, please click on the links below to read more about how we’re working towards our sustainability vision ‘Mission Zero’.
Interview with The Guardian Unlimited – an interview with Ray Anderson in the Guardian Unlimited following a speech at a conference on global ethics at Oxford University in September 2006.
Hear Ray Anderson speak – the man behind the vision, our CEO and founder Ray Anderson spoke at the Corporate Social Responsibility summit in Sydney, Australia in 2005. Click here to hear Ray speak.
The Corporation – Ray appeared in the award winning film The Corporation. The film examines the role of organisations in terms of corporate social responsibility. In the film, Ray is interviewed and portrayed as a ‘hero amongst villains’ when compared to a number of prominent individuals from a variety of industries.
Interface Sustainability Website - a website dedicated to our sustainability vision and progress so far.
Book Review - a review of Ray Anderson's influential book.Mid Course to Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise – The Interface Model
Business Hero – Ray Anderson – My Hero is a not for profit educational web project that celebrates the best of humanity. Amongst a number of high profile individuals from all walks of life, Ray Anderson is featured on this website as a Business Hero.
 Green Books – An independent UK publishing company, this site is an online bookstore featuring a large collection of books on environmental and cultural issues including Anderson’s Mid Course to Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise – The Interface Model which is available to buy from this site.
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| Climate-neutral Flooring for your Home |
In line with Heuga’s company commitment Mission Zero, Country Classic and Comfy Cord wool flooring is ‘climate neutral’, which means Heuga compensates any negative impact this modular flooring may have on the environment. We only use green electricity, and we are constantly working to reduce any greenhouse gas emissions associated with production. Any further emissions are balanced through pre-paid carbon offset verified by a leading environmental organisation, Climate Care. Country Classic and Comfy Cord are truly responsible products.
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| Don't just take our word for it... |
The 2008 Globescan unprompted survey of 3000 independent sustainability experts around the world put Interface at number one, ahead of big companies such as Unilever, Toyota and The Body Shop.
Although that makes us feel good, we still have a long way to go until we reach Mission Zero. |
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