(82b) Biomimicry in Sustainable Product Development

Interface is driven by a positive vision of the future and the determination to make it come true. An abiding commitment to show that sustainability is better for business. We believe that change starts with us and is transforming Interface from a plunderer of the earth to an agent of its restoration. Through this process of redesigning ourselves, we hope to be a catalyst for the redesign of global industry. One of the ways we do this is in product design, developing products with reduced environmental impact.  Because our mission is seemingly unattainable, we are driven beyond incremental change to look for step changes that make major reductions in our footprint. Two successful strategies have been dematerialization and biomimetic design.  This presentation will provide some examples of this approach and our future challenges in using biophilia and shared value business models to make the world a better place with every square meter of carpet we sell.