The Hindu Business Line : InterfaceFLOR works on environmental projects

Bangalore, July 8 The environmental sustainability movement gets another cheerleader. InterfaceFLOR, a global modular commercial flooring manufacturer, is now working with Climate Care on projects that will increase energy efficiency and renewable energy. Investments for these projects, some of which are located in India too, have come from money offset done through its ‘Cool Carpet’ scheme.

“Since its launch in 2005, we have sold over 5 million sq m of ‘Cool Carpet’ in EMEAI (Europe, Middle East, Africa and India), corresponding to more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon offset funded through Climate Care,” says Mr Raj Menon, Country Manager, InterfaceFLOR India Pvt Ltd.

Projects in India include wind turbines in Karnataka and Maharashtra, and treadle pumps in Orissa; the latest is a biomass project in Khatauli in Uttar Pradesh, says Mr Menon. This translates to over £400,000 (approximately Rs 3.5 crore) investment in India, corresponding to over 75,000 tonnes carbon dioxide (CO{-2}) savings, he adds. Other projects include restoring rainforests in Uganda and improving home insulation in Pakistan.

How it works

The company calculates the total amount of CO{-2} created during a product’s lifecycle, and then offsets the figure through investment in projects that reduce or reverse the impact of those emissions. The projects include those that: produce renewable energy without adding CO{-2} to the atmosphere; increase energy efficiency by cutting down on the amount of fossil fuels used and consequently the CO{-2} produced; and actually remove CO{-2} from the atmosphere.

InterfaceFLOR also issues a certificate detailing the amount of purchase of its ‘climate neutral’ products and the consequent saving in emissions through offset. The Cool Carpet initiative is part of its ‘Mission Zero’ drive to achieve a zero environmental footprint.

Going green

Going green, the company has, in its eight facilities across the globe, saved $372 million — cumulative costs avoided from tackling waste since 1995; reduced total manufacturing waste sent to landfill since 1996 by 75 per cent; reduced total energy use at carpet manufacturing facilities since 1996 by 45 per cent; reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 82 per cent (from a 1996 baseline); and increased use of renewable energy to 27 per cent in 2007. “Green electricity and landfill gas are key components of our overall strategy to increase the use of renewable energy,” says the company’s Web Site.

Its Bangalore office recently achieved the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold — for Commercial Interiors — certification from the US Green Building Council.

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