Named Touch it is a small adhesive squares 7

Out of the infernal cycle of waste: "Take, make, throw." This is the challenge that has set, as early as 1994, the President and founder of the American Group InterfaceFlor, Ray Anderson, who built the world's leading modular textile flooring pushing the boundaries of sustainable manufacturing. Dubbed 'mission zero', the action plan clearly displays its ambition: have more no negative impact on the environment on the horizon of 2020. This has led to Ray Anderson to become an international figure in the sustainable development - it was designated as a hero of the environment by "time Magazine" in October 2007.

And they are not vain words. Since 1996, of the establishment of systems for measuring progress, the Group achieved cumulative savings of $ 405 million on costs related to waste, reducing their overall volume 66 globally. "We consider waste as a cost that generates value for the customer." Their elimination is more that the simple reduction of the volumes of products sent landfill. "It is to improve all processes that could be carried out faster and produce more while requiring less time and energy", says Ton van Keken, senior Vice President of operations of InterfaceFlor in Europe.

Nasa technology

To cover the zero waste, priority axis of the plan 'mission zero', the Group relies heavily on innovation. Through the implementation of two new advanced technologies, it now seeks to significantly reduce industrial waste of its European sites. Installed in its plant in Scherpenzeel on the Netherlands, the first is a machine developed from a technology from Nasa that uses the custom ultrasonic cutting for reducing falls. Specifically, when 6 shots are necessary to cut 24 tiles in a roll of carpet to cookie-cutter, a single cycle enough ultrasound machine to achieve the same result. Furthermore, ultrasonic cutting, which generates less dust, improving the quality of a slab, the edge is more net than with a standard process. With this machine, which represents an investment of EUR 2 million, the company hopes term doubled its production and reduce emissions by 80, or the Elimination of 310 tons of waste each year.

For closing the loop, the Group has devised an original system called "Cool Green", which retrieves carpet waste from the manufacturing process, falls from cutting and not comply with the requirements of quality sought slabs. "This machine broie falls, the result is a powder that is integrated in the sublayer of new products at 12. "It is the first time that an industry like ours is capable of offering a recycling of this type," explains Bruno Sevin, marketing director of the group for southern Europe.

"The savings generated by the reduction of waste will be used to depreciate the equipment set up and fund new innovations to achieve our goal of here to 2020," he added. Another effect, this system allows to increase the proportion of recycled materials entering the composition of the substrate of new carpets up to 74.

Its ecological logic, InterfaceFlor the place to the consumer. After his concept of random laying tiles, with a reason that does not recur, requiring therefore not fitting (only 1-2 drop), the Group launches a new method for quick and easy installation. Named "Touch", it is a small adhesive squares (7.5 cm) system which maintains the slabs and on the ground, without the addition of liquid glue. Five small adhesive grams are enough per square metre, against some 110 grams for a classical pose. With a carbon footprint lightened by 90 in CO2 equivalent.