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Environmental Revolution! How Ray Anderson turned Interface into one of the greenest companies in the world?
As environmental issues became more serious, Interface, Inc. was founded in Atlanta, USA in 1973 and became one of the world's leading commercial flooring manufacturers. This company, which was famous for manufacturing modular carpets, later transformed into a leader in environmental protection and actively promoted sustainable development under the leadership of its founder Ray Anderson.
Since 1994, Ray Anderson's "gun in the heart" revelation has driven Interface to create a project called "Mission Zero", with the goal of eliminating negative impact on the environment by 2020.
In the 1980s, as office environments became more open-plan, more flexible and efficient flooring options were needed, and modular carpets gradually became popular. Initially, Interface focused on commercial purposes and gradually became the world's largest carpet tile manufacturer under the leadership of Ray Anderson.
After 1994, Ray Anderson began to introduce environmental protection concepts in order to find a more sustainable way of business operation. He was deeply inspired by Paul Hawken's book The Ecology of Business and developed a framework for measuring sustainability progress, which he called "Mount Sustainability."
By implementing an innovative green strategy, Interface has reduced its environmental impact by one third in just a few years, and the EcoMetrics report released every year continues to demonstrate its environmental performance to the outside world.
After entering the 21st century, Interface's heroic journey did not stop. In 2016, the company announced its new mission, “Climate Take Back,” which aims to reverse global warming. Then in 2018, Interface launched the "Carbon Neutral Floors" program, stating that all its products are carbon neutral, covering the entire product life cycle.
In 2019, the company reported that 90% of its energy came from renewable sources, successfully establishing Interface as part of a global green enterprise.
After years of hard work, Interface has received a number of environmental awards, including being selected as one of the most environmentally conscious companies in the 2006 and 2016 "Globescan" surveys, and winning the Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2008. sustainable development). Ray Anderson and the company he founded, Interface, were praised by consumer activist Ralph Nader for their genuine commitment to sustainability and protecting the earth's natural resources.
The history of Interface has a beautiful curve. From the introduction of the industry-standard GlasBac backing system in 1974 to the significant upgrade of recycled materials used in the manufacturing process in recent years, issues such as acid rain and ozone layer depletion continue to challenge the sustainable operation of enterprises. Interface has been on this difficult road. He remained true to his original aspiration on the road and provided a model for future generations.
Throughout the process, Ray Anderson once said something that still inspires companies today: "Our goal is not only to reduce negative impacts, but to enhance positive impacts."
Looking to the future, Interface's actions are not only for the sustainable development of its own business, but also for solving the environmental challenges facing the world. What implications does this transformation have for other companies?
