Saturday, October 29, 2005

carpet

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i'm looking into carpet for my yoga studio. through chelsea green publishers, who have their office in my building, i discovered interface, a carpet company that seeks sustainability. they seek...

...to be the first company that, by its deeds, shows the entire industrial world what sustainability is in all its dimensions: People, process, product, place and profits — by 2020 — and in doing so we will become restorative through the power of influence.

not only do they seem to be vested in sustainability, their carpet designs are interesting. i've ordered samples. the design i liked the best, however, is unsuitable for radiant floors :( they informed they are working on it.

there's another website friends danny and roger told me about: greenfloors.com that lists all kinds of flooring products that incorporate low toxicity and recycling.

reading interface's sustainability report helped me realize the potential for industry to correct itself. i like interface's wholistic approach--they seek not only low toxicity, for instance, benefitting the end user, but also to improve all aspects of their production process, from the raw material extraction to the welfare of its employees. "We must create a company that addresses the needs of society and the environment by developing a system of industrial production that decreases our costs and dramatically reduces the burdens placed upon living systems." this is not the kind of statement i'm used to hearing from big industry.

2 comments:

Friend said...

Thanks for this interesting post. I am happy to know of this carpet company. A few years ago the thought occurred:

Why not an 'Ethical Capitalism'? In Ethical Capitalism the word 'Profitable' is redefined as: 'that which benefits the health and well being of ourselves and those we live with'.

This way, all 'non-profits' would become profitable, and many 'for profits' would be seen for what they truly do.

Now there is this carpet company, which is encouraging. Aloofdork you seem to be an Ethical Capitlist at heart, if not already in practice.

Matt Bucy said...

ethical capitalism--i like that idea. i suppose you could also call it enlightened capitalism, since what's required to make it happen is the diminishment of ego and material desire in preference to concepts larger than the self.