Environmentally sound carpet – smart enough to be in schools
Ray Anderson has created the next generation of carpets and the next generation of companies. Over a decade ago, after reading Paul Hawken’s book The Ecology of Commerce, Ray Anderson set out to turn his corporation – Interface Carpeting, the 2nd largest carpet manufacturer in the United States-into a sustainable and environmentally-friendly company. Now his leadership is benefiting kids.
When planning the new facility for Clearview Elementary, the Hanover Public School District in Pennsylvania decided that the new school must be a LEED- certified sustainable building. This was a first for the school system. Project Architect John Boecker recommended using Interface’s modular carpeting. “We’ve been tracking what Interface has been doing since about 1996, and I’m not unequivocal about attributing much of what has developed or evolved in regard to sustainability in the carpet industry to the pioneering efforts of Ray Anderson and Interface.”
Clearview Elementary is a high traffic school with 230 Kindergarten through 4th grade students. With the incorporation of Interface’s antimicrobial preservative, Intersept®, the carpet is protected from the growth of molds, mildew and bacterial growth which can make kids sick with asthma, headaches, rashes, and sometimes even more serious illnesses. A cleaner floor also enhances Indoor Air Quality. And there is no off-gassing with Interface modular carpet, eliminating the chemical odor associated with new carpeting. Easy maintenance, dense construction and an exceptionally stable backing allow Interface modular carpet to last longer than traditional roll carpet and offers better appearance retention.
"Just last week I had someone say to me, 'You know, people haven't been sick as much since we moved over here.' The IAQ (in-door air quality) is definitely improved in this new building," says Jo Bookwalter, school principal. “The carpeting definitely adds to the warmer atmosphere in our classrooms. You don’t have that hard tile sound. If something drops, you don’t even hear it. It’s just a warmer, homier environment. The LEED specifications resulted in a building with no bad odors from the first day we walked into it. We had none of that ‘new carpet’ or ‘new paint’ smell and in the various tours that we conducted, people noticed. It was significant,” Bookwalter said.
School IQ: Interface carpeting is a smart choice – both for school budgets and children’s learning environments. Here's Why:
» Carpet is protected against a broad spectrum of microorganisms.
» Reduces airborne particulates by more than 50% compared to hard surface floors.
» 90% less installation waste than conventional carpet.
» 75% longer useful life when compared to conventional carpet.
» Interface’s dyeing process has significantly less impact on water resources than other dyeing methods.
» Contains at least 40% recycled content.
