BOSTON - Interface Inc. and its principal brands, including Bentley Prince Street®, FLOR® and InterfaceFLOR®, recently launched MissionZero.org, an Internet community and living network dedicated to facilitating the growth of sustainability and environmental awareness.
The site includes news, interactive education, social networking, peer-to-peer interaction and partnerships with key corporate and industry stakeholders.
"We launched MissionZero.org at Greenbuild because it is the epicenter for thought leadership in the environmental movement," explains John Wells, president of Interface Americas.
Interface brings a long history of environmental advocacy to MissionZero.org, yet the site is not sales or product focused. Rather, it is a network that promotes education, dialog and empowerment.
"We view MissionZero.org as a living community that will elevate the conversation around sustainability," adds Wells. "As the environmental movement transitions from grass roots to mainstream, it becomes critical to provide those who seek knowledge with transparent and valuable sources of information. This is another large step towards InterfaceFLOR's Mission Zero™ promise to eliminate any negative impact we may have on the environment by 2020."
Interface launched the site with several founding partners, including the American Society of Interior Designers, the International Interior Design Association, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, and the World Resources Institute, all of whom recognize the value of furthering education about, and their commitment to, sustainability. While these founding partners are largely on the cutting edge of environmentally responsible practices, they understand the importance of bringing this information and conversation to the mainstream.
Partner companies and organizations will provide direct content to MissionZero.org as well as links to white papers, case studies and other resources found among their own Web sites.
"We were eager to partner with Interface on MissionZero.org knowing that this site will have a long reach beyond those we can influence through our members and the organizations they touch," notes Thom Banks, Hon. FASID, deputy executive director for ASID. "As our members know, it can be an overwhelming task to educate those new to the ideas around sustainability, and the amount of confusing and misleading information in the marketplace is an on-going challenge. MissionZero.org promises to cut through much of that clutter and provide a one-stop, comprehensive resource for anyone, from those just learning these ideas and ideals, to those on the cutting edge of new thinking and technology."
Content on MissionZero.org will stream from multiple resources—from news organizations to environmental and policy experts, to user-driven contributions. Content categories are broad based and include agriculture, design, natural resources, transportation, business and investing, society and culture, policy and government, events, food, and health and home. In other words, there is something for everyone. Users can design their own home pages based on specific areas of interest and desired content.
"We made a conscious decision to develop this site around a broad subject matter, with all topics viewed through the lens of sustainability," says Wells. "While much of our day-to-day focus as a company is around how sustainability impacts product design and development, the reality is that all areas touched on this site impact us greatly ... from natural resources to government policy and regulation through to how we transport our products and people. We are eager to see the potential of this community and expect that we will learn even more than we supply in terms of content and expertise."
To get involved, go to www.missionzero.org and register.
