Interface Announces Participation in Healthy Seas Cross-sector Initiative

LONDON, October 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Joins programme to recover and recycle marine waste into textile products, from carpets to clothing

Interface, a leading carpet tile manufacturer and environmental pioneer, has today announced its participation in the 'Healthy Seas, a Journey from Waste to Wear' programme - a new initiative designed to address the growing environmental problem of marine waste. Interface is the first flooring company to participate in this global programme, founded by yarn manufacturer Aquafil, conservation group ECNC Land & Sea Group, and Dutch manufacturer Star Stock, as part of Interface's long-term 'Mission Zero' sustainability goal.

The issue of marine waste is vast. According to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), there are approximately 640,000 tons of abandoned fishing nets in the oceans, accounting for one-tenth of all marine litter. These discarded nets can remain in the sea for centuries, continuing to catch or injure marine life such as fish, dolphins, turtles and marine birds (known as ghost fishing). The Healthy Seas initiative aims to provide a solution by bringing together businesses, NGOs, divers, fishermen and other stakeholders to recover the fishing nets and recycle them into ECONYL (r) yarn that can be used for a wide range of textile products, including carpets, swimwear, underwear, high-tech clothing and sportswear.

Commenting on its participation, Interface VP & Chief Innovations Officer Nigel Stansfield said, "Interface is delighted to be involved in the Healthy Seas initiative as it works to help tackle the growing environmental problem of marine debris on an industry-wide scale. We are strong advocates of scavenging waste from one industry for use in another, and see this as a natural extension of the work we are already doing within our own business to convert waste into valuable raw materials for new products. We are proud to be doing something that we feel strongly about for the good of the wider textiles industry and, crucially, for the good of the environment."

Other waste-to-value initiatives Interface is working on include the like-for-like recycling of old carpet tiles into new carpet products through its breakthrough ReEntry™ 2.0 process, and the creation of a community-based supply chain for discarded fishing nets in partnership with The Zoological Society of London. Called Net-Works™, this innovative project delivers socio-economic benefits in poor coastal communities while providing recycled content for new Interface carpet tiles.  

The Healthy Seas initiative will commence with a series of pilots in Europe. Work is already underway in the North Sea where more than 20 tonnes of nets have been collected so far. The next phase of activity will recover and recycle nets from the Adriatic Sea (Italy, Slovenia and Croatia) and the Mediterranean Sea (Spain). An education programme is also planned to discourage fishers from abandoning their nets and promoting responsible disposal of used nets.  

About Interface

Interface is a global leader in the design and production of carpet tiles. Its products combine style and innovation with functionality and environmental credentials to help customers bring their design vision to life.

Interface was one of the first companies to publicly commit to sustainability, when it made a pledge in the mid-nineties to eliminate its impact on the environment by 2020. Known as Mission Zero®, it influences every aspect of the business and inspires the company to continually push the boundaries in order to achieve its goal.

Interface is now more than half way to reaching Mission Zero and has been widely recognised for its achievements to date. Its products have also achieved several awards specifically for design and innovation, the most recent being The Athenaeum Good Design Award for Fotosfera.

About Aquafil

Since 1969, Aquafil has been one of the leading players, both in Italy and globally, in the production of polyamide 6. Always committed to taking real measures to protect the environment, in 2011 Aquafil started the ECONYL® Regeneration System project. It is an innovative industrial regeneration process that produces nylon 6 polymer from:

• post-consumer waste, i.e. end-of-life products made from polyamide 6, including fishing nets, fluff (from the top of carpets and rugs) and textiles;
• pre-consumer waste such as olygomers, scraps, etc., generated from the production of nylon 6.

About ECNC  

The ECNC Group is the leading European Expertise Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainability, dedicated to a 'Beautiful Europe' for present and future generations, based on rich biodiversity, healthy ecosystems and strong linkages between nature and society. The group consists of: ECNC-European Centre for Nature Conservation, Tilburg (NL), the Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC), Leiden (NL), and Mediterranean Centre (MedCentre), Barcelona (Spain). The ECNC Group has a presence in all regions of Europe, and builds bridges between stakeholders in businesses, governments, NGOs and science, provides tailor-made expertise, and is able to mobilize its wide international and local networks.

About Star Sock

Star Sock is a leading development and production partner for socks, established in 1996 and based in the Netherlands. Our focus is on sport, outdoor and work wear socks for the European market. Next to the development of licensed socks for some of the most well-known sport brands, we also create and produce on behalf of many international retailers. Star Sock decided to make the best possible products for our partners trough a combination of innovation, technical expertise, and an integrated sustainable approach throughout our entire chain. To reach our goal we work trough our philosophy based on our four Ps: professional, positive, passion and pleasure.