Interface Inc. working to fulfill Global Transparency Pledge for products

Published On: October 11, 2011

Interface Inc. announced at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo that the company is on track to complete environmental product declarations (EPDs) for 90 percent of its total products, measured by production volume, by the end of 2011. The update comes as part of Interface’s pioneering pledge to obtain EPDs on all products globally in 2012, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to product transparency.

“With the multitude of labels and claims in the marketplace, only EPDs offer full transparency and allow customers to evaluate products based upon verified facts,” says Dan Hendrix, president and CEO of Interface Inc. “Adopting EPDs is one way we are responding to confusion in the marketplace and offering a trustworthy tool for customers. Our hope is that they will take advantage of EPDs to make decisions comparing and favoring products that have a smaller footprint, while using more sustainable products for their projects.”

An EPD is a third-party verified report derived from a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA), which outlines the product “ingredients,” detailing where each material comes from, as well as the environmental impacts across a product’s life cycle. Similar to how nutrition labels help consumers compare the health benefits of food items, an EPD enables buyers to compare product environmental impacts such as energy and material consumption, waste generation and emissions. Interface was the first carpet tile manufacturer to receive verified EPDs for its products and continues to be a global leader in EPD adoption.

Source: Interface Inc.