InterfaceFLOR’s Raw power

Raw, an InterfaceFLOR modular carpet tile product created from yarns derived from a combination of salvaged fishing nets, post-industrial waste, and fibres from the company’s own processing of reclaimed carpet products, is among 100 products named “Best of What’s New” for 2011 by Popular Science magazine.

In naming Raw to this noteworthy list, Mark Jannot, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, said, “For 24 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us-those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what’s possible in the future. The ‘Best of What’s New’ Award is,” he continued, “the magazine’s top honour, and the 100 winners-chosen from among thousands of entrants-represent the highest level of achievement in their fields.”

The 100 “Best of What’s New” products are reviewed in a centerpiece feature of the December issue of Popular Science.

Since its introduction this past June, InterfaceFLOR’s Raw has been earning kudos not only for its exceptionally sustainable construction from 100 percent non-virgin yarn and high recycled content backing, but also for its distinctive looks and superlative performance. The inspiration for this design was organic deconstruction, and a composition of the floor tiles in an installation conveys how aging and wear can evolve into a pleasing visual aesthetic with the nuances of patina and the character of distressing. It’s representative of layers peeled away to reveal an inner beauty.

Raw was developed by InterfaceFLOR’s principal design consultant, David Oakey, and it contains 29 percent post-consumer recycled content and a total of 79 percent recycled content.

“To be counted among the top 100 product innovations of the year by such a respected publication such as Popular Science is an exciting coup for InterfaceFLOR,” says John Wells, president and CEO of parent company Interface Americas. “Raw is an enigma: it’s such an attractive design, yet it’s made from trash-industrial sludge, decrepit fishing nets and used and reclaimed carpet. It’s a great example of how ingeniously this refuse can be reinvented into something highly functional, deceptively luxurious and beautiful. It also exemplifies how InterfaceFLOR is vigorously dedicated to discovering alternative resources for producing its carpet tile products so that we can meet our Mission Zero pledge to reach a zero environmental footprint by 2020.”