Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to watch the film Beyond Zero that tracked the path to sustainability of Interface – the largest carpet tile company in the world.
The journey for them began in 1995. This was well before many individuals and companies were even considering the impacts of climate change. Especially traditional companies like Interface who had a product that was 90% oil based and sustainability was not a consideration in any part of the business.
The initial vision was led by the owner and CEO, Ray Anderson. He faced many obstacles inside the company and the resistance he received reinforced that organizational change is hard. There were many points in time the company could have given up, but they didn’t. Ray’s vision was strong.
The Turning Point
The tide of the company resistance made a significant shift when they reserved a plush hotel in Hawaii for a business conference.
The leadership team gained approval from hotel management to take over operations for the week. During that time, they measured everything – food waste, energy used, and more.
Along the way, the leadership team gave tips on how all the team members could reduce energy use and eliminate waste. At the end of the of the week, they noted the waste reduction AND the cost savings of their changes.
The improvements realized during their week were projected out into annualized numbers.
Suddenly, the team realized the difference they could make by implementing changes over time inside of their own company. Interface was officially on the sustainability journey.
The Innovation
Once innovation was set in motion, the ideas that came out of the company were industry leading. They took risks and were completely committed to the vision.
They found ways to reduce materials in the carpet tiles and eliminate the need of gluing them down. The path of change was fascinating. They drew inspiration from everywhere, including nature.
Yet, like any worthwhile journey, the changes weren’t free of challenges. The movie showed the tough times and what the team did to move beyond them.
My Story
Watching this movie took me back to my years at Saturn. This common vision and innovative mindset were both prevalent there. There was a driving force to make things better for people and the planet. We were always looking for inspiration beyond the auto industry.
The Interlock story of the Business Conference also reminded me of the Saturn business conferences. Those conferences had the same methodical approach. Ensuring all elements of the experience reinforced the message and the mission we were striving to achieve.
Your Turn
One of the movie quotes struck me as the question to consider for your own organization:
“It’s not if you can do it, it’s are you willing to do it?”
Are you and your company willing to do the work that a sustainable business requires?
Where could you begin?
If you haven’t had the opportunity to see Beyond Zero, a company screening could be the first step in starting the conversation at your organization.
Click here to see the trailer and get more information.