Global modular flooring manufacturer, Interface, has unveiled its latest technical innovation by creating the world’s first recycled latex substitute using laminate found in car glass. Driven by its commitment to Mission Zero, Interface has developed a method for using recycled poly-vinyl butyral (PVB) to replace the existing latex precoat widely used in the carpet tile industry to fix the yarn to the backing. Interface’s Scandinavian collection is the first range available with recycled PVB.

PVB is the laminate found in glass which prevents it from shattering, and is most commonly found in car windscreens. The industry has been recycling this type of glass for some time but had found no solution for recycling the PVB.
Working alongside new and old partners, including Shark Solutions, Interface invested 10 years of research in developing the ground-breaking process and, as a result of this co-innovation, PVB has been given a second life in a new, sustainable supply chain.
PVB has a carbon footprint that is 80 per cent less than the existing latex precoat used in the industry. Interface Europe currently uses 43 per cent of recycled or bio-based raw materials and the Mission Zero goal is 100 per cent by 2020.
The new material will bring Interface’s use of recycled or bio-based raw materials to 66 per cent when applied to all products and, as such, in the next two years, Interface believes products with up to 90 per cent recycled or biobased content will be achievable.