strategies towards sustainability

©

©

Strategies Towards Sustainability

The Case of Interface Inc.

©

©

Planning in Complex Systems

Outcome Level

Strategic Level

System Level

Action Level

Toolbox Level

©

©

Interface Inc.

• World’s Largest Manufacturer of Flooring Tiles

• US$1.28 billion in sales

• 26 facilities worldwide• 7 Faces of Mount

Sustainability

©

©

“Spear in the Chest”

©

©

7 Faces of Mount Sustainability

1. Eliminate Waste

2. Benign Emissions

3. Renewable Energy

4. Closing the Loop

5. Resource Efficient Transportation

6. Sensitivity Hookup

7. Redesign Commerce

©

©

Systems Map

Processes

CapitalPeopleVALUESSuppliers Customers

Earth’s Biosphere

Earth’s Lithosphere

Community

Natural Materials Waste to Landfill or incinerator

Was

te

Em

issi

ons

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inor

gani

c

Org

anic

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Law

s

Tax

es $

Inve

stm

ents

$

Div

iden

ds $

©

©

1) Eliminating the Concept of Waste

• “We define waste as any cost that does not produce value to our customers”– Not just materials and energy, but also

“processes”

• Reduce waste and then eliminate.– Redesign products to use less materials and to

reuse materials.

©

©

Systems Map

Processes


Earth’s Biosphere


Community


Was

te

Em

issi

ons

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inor

gani

c

Org

anic

Inve

stm

ents

$

Law

s

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Tax

es $

Div

iden

ds $

1

1) Eliminating the Concept of Waste

©

©

2) Benign Emissions

• Elimination of “stacks” and “discharge points”.– 83 of 272 air emissions stacks– 11 of 21 effluent discharge points

• “Prevent toxic substances from entering our factories in the first place”

• Eliminate dependence on materials from the earth’s crust

©

©

Systems Map

Processes


Earth’s Biosphere


Community


Was

te

Em

issi

ons

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inor

gani

c

Org

anic

Inve

stm

ents

$

Law

s

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Tax

es $

Div

iden

ds $

2

2 2

2) Benign Emissions

©

©

3) Renewable Energy

• Long-term dependence on solely solar energy, i.e. substitution of fossil fuels.– Gas turbines or fuel cells as flexible platforms

• First focus on energy efficiency, i.e. reducing consumption of electricity.

©

©

Systems Map

Processes


Earth’s Biosphere


Community


Was

te

Em

issi

ons

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inor

gani

c

Org

anic

Inve

stm

ents

$

Law

s

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Tax

es $

Div

iden

ds $

3) Renewable Energy

3 3

3

3

©

©

4) Closing the Loop

• Close Loop Recycling - “Cradle to Cradle”

1. Natural, Organic Cycle - “natural raw materials and compostable products”

2. Technical Cycle - “Giving man-made materials and organic molecules life after life”

©

©

Systems Map

Processes


Earth’s Biosphere


Community


Was

te

Em

issi

ons

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inor

gani

c

Org

anic

Inve

stm

ents

$

Law

s

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Tax

es $

Div

iden

ds $

4) Closing the Loop

4 4

4

4

SustainabilityLink

Technical Cycle

Natural CycleCompostable products

©

©

5) Resource Efficient Transportation

• Avoid transportation, for example through video conferencing

• Reduce transportation, for example through manufacturing closer to markets and better logistics

• Switch to more efficient modes of transportation • Least within the control of the organization

©

©

SustainabilityLink

Systems Map

Processes


Earth’s Biosphere


Community


Was

te

Em

issi

ons

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inor

gani

c

Org

anic

Inve

stm

ents

$

Law

s

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Tax

es $

Div

iden

ds $

5) Resource Efficient TransportationNatural Cycle

Technical Cycle

Compostable products

5 5

5

©

©

6) Sensitivity Hookup

• “Closer relations:– amongst ourselves to get all of us in alignment

– with suppliers and customers to get all of us in alignment”

• “Service to the community through involvement and investment”

• “Increases the awareness of thousands and thousands of little things each of us can do to inch towards sustainability.”

©

©

SustainabilityLink

Systems Map

Processes


Earth’s Biosphere


Community


Was

te

Em

issi

ons

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inor

gani

c

Org

anic

Inve

stm

ents

$

Law

s

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Tax

es $

Div

iden

ds $

6) Sensitivity HookupNatural Cycle

Technical Cycle


66 6

Sen

siti

vity

/In

volv

emen

t

Inve

stm

ent

66

66

6 6

©

©

7) Redesign Commerce

• Shifting from selling products to Selling Services

• Prices reflect full costs

• Tax Shifting…from income and capital to pollution, waste, emissions, etc.

©

©

SustainabilityLink

Systems Map

Processes


Earth’s Biosphere


Community


Was

te

Em

issi

ons

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inor

gani

c

Org

anic

Inve

stm

ents

$

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Div

iden

ds $

7) Redesign of CommerceNatural Cycle

Technical Cycle


Sen

siti

vity

/Inv

olve

men

t

Inve

stm

ent

Service

7L

aws

Tax

es $

7

7

7

77

7

©

©

SustainabilityLink

Systems Map

Processes


Earth’s Biosphere


Community

$ $

Raw Materials

Products

Inve

stm

ents

$

Em

ploy

ees

Wag

es $

Div

iden

ds $

Sustainable EnterpriseNatural Cycle

Technical Cycle


Sen

siti

vity

/Inv

olve

men

t

Inve

stm

ent

Service

Law

s

Tax

es $

strategies towards sustainability

Documents