This is where Interface comes in, a global manufacturer of commercial and residential flooring, founded in 1973 by Ray C. Anderson in LaGrange, Georgia, US. What made them stand out was their innovative product design, the “free-lay” tile. It was the first of its kind and transformed the industry's flooring solutions because the installation did not require the use of any glue. Fueled by the success of this innovation, the company found other opportunities to expand its product line and entered other related yet diverse industries, including fabrics for office furniture and specialty chemical production.

The company’s business model reflected how their focus was the third of the three P’s, profit, as there was no notable focus on people, nor the planet. 

Fast forward to the 90s, and we see how Interface has grown and managed to increase its net income significantly. By ‘92, the company had grown to $594 million in sales and a net income exceeding $12.3 million, an increase of 37% in a year’s time. This was made possible because of chemical production. Their antimicrobial chemical, Intersept, was being used in various product categories.

By this time, however, their business model was looking rather pale, as it was negatively impacting both environment and society, through the introduction of toxins and waste, their high consumption of water and energy. Even though they provided many jobs, their production process relied on intense labor and made it impossible for Interface to offer a healthy working environment. Something had to change, and it did.

Inspired by Paul Hawken’s book, The Ecology of Commerce—, Anderson decided to go for change. The book sent him, and Interface, on a daring path to become a sustainable and regenerative business. After this, Anderson, nor the company, would ever be the same again.

When asked by a customer how sustainability played into Interface’s strategy, Anderson realized that simply ‘following regulatory guidelines’ is not always enough. He knew the unflattering numbers, namely that 4 billion pounds of carpet ended up in landfills each year in the US alone and Ray knew that simply following the rules would end up costing the environment and society a lot. That is why in 1995, Interface introduced a framework designed to track and measure the company’s sustainability progress and as a result, in 1996the EcoMetrics program was born. This program provided the company with just the right insights into their business to start making a positive shift.

Next, Ray took on the challenge of introducing QUEST: Quality Utilizing Employees’ Suggestions and Teamwork, an initiative to encourage employees to play an active role in eliminating waste from the company’s production chain. By sharing Ray’s vision and engaging employees across all levels, Interface was able to make a lasting, positive impact on people and planet. 

Interface even takes their vision a step further. With their Carbon Neutral Floors program, they support projects that go beyond removing carbon offsetting and that have positive social impacts to boot. These groundbreaking, life-changing projects include efforts to supply clean, safe drinking water and cookstoves to rural communities in Africa and Latin America. Offsets also play an important role in funding the actions (reforestation) and technologies (solar/wind generation) that are needed to address climate change and the human health challenges associated with excess carbon. 

With Mission Zero, Interface has inspired many other companies to follow their lead, increasing positive impacts at a scale well beyond their own achievements. Throughout their journey, and as Interface started publicly sharing their sustainability progress, others built their own programs and initiatives inspired by Interface. Moreover, as Mission Zero progressed, Interface started mentoring others, hosting business leaders from companies like Walmart and Mars, encouraging them to set up their own sustainability agendas.