InterfaceFlor Receives EPD for Convert Products

LaGrange, GA, March 2, 2009-- – Modular carpet manufacturer InterfaceFlor said it was confirmed as the first U.S. carpet manufacturer to receive a third party verified Environmental Product Declaration.

While others in the industry have begun this certification process, InterfaceFlor is the first to complete it. The verification covers all of North America.

What sets an EPD apart from other green product claims and labels is its fundamentally different approach that provides a higher level of detail and product information. An EPD requires an unprecedented level of analysis, transparency and disclosure of information that has previously remained confidential.

EPDs address consistent factors based on full lifecycle assessment such as progress on reducing dependence on virgin raw materials, reducing fossil fuel dependence and using renewable energy, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

An EPD is the next step in the disclosure of consistent and verifiable product characteristics and represents a significant move forward for the carpet industry. A manufacturer can no longer claim a product is ‘green’ when its overall footprint is anything but.

“A new line has been drawn in the sand,” said John Wells, president of Interface Americas, Inc.. “Those who do not step up, or who cannot meet this new milestone, stand to be left behind.”

InterfaceFlor said it has long measured the impacts of its products and has made decisions based on life cycle assessment.

"Ultimately this will allow our customers to make apples-to-apples comparisons of carpet products,” said David Hobbs, president of InterfaceFlor.

InterfaceFlor said it chose to base its EPD on the Convert group of products because they represent the company’s next generation of product and its continued commitment to sustainability.