Today, Interface was announced as a winner of a 2016 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) in Sustainable Oceans Management, by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
The Secretary of State has awarded the ACE each year since 1999 to recognize U.S. companies who are contributing to the growth and sustainable development of the local economies in which they work. Interface was recognized for its efforts around decreasing marine pollution in coastal areas of the Philippines while improving the lives of local communities — evidenced by its Net-Works initiative.
Net-Works was designed to tackle the growing environmental problem of discarded fishing nets in some of the world’s poorest coastal communities. Net-Works encourages the recycling of these nets by providing payment to participants in the local community. The recycled nets provided by the program are sent to an Interface, Inc. supplier which uses the nylon found in the nets to produce 100% recycled carpet yarn. As of 2015, the program has operated in 26 communities and directly benefited over 4,000 people. And it supports Interface’s Mission Zero goal to source 100% recycled material for its carpet tile.
Interface will be presented with the award at the annual ACE ceremony on January 5, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. EST at the State Department. The event will be globally streamed online at http://video.state.gov/live/.
