Foundation Awards $100,000 “NextGen” Grant to Net-Works™

The Ray C. Anderson Foundation recently awarded a $100,000 “NextGen” grant to the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) who, in partnership with Interface, Inc., has created an innovative program called Net-Works.  Net-Works is a cross-sector collaboration designed to tackle the growing environmental problem of discarded fishing nets in some of the world’s poorest coastal communities, while at the same time supporting one of Interface’s ambitious Mission Zero® goals to source 100% recycled nylon.  NextGen grants are those awarded by decision of the five adult grandchildren of Ray Anderson, the late founder and chairman of Interface, Inc.

“Net-Works embodies Ray’s idea of what a ‘restorative enterprise’ might look like,” said Jay Lanier, Ray’s grandchild and an account executive of Interface, Inc., remembering a question his grandfather frequently asked: “How do we make the world better with every square yard of carpet that we sell?”

Together, Interface and ZSL are challenging the status quo to reimagine the company’s supply chain in a way that improves its ability to source recycled content, while simultaneously cleaning up oceans and lakes and lifting people from poverty.  It is an ambitious program, and it’s working. To date, they have collected 61,845 kgs (136,345 lbs) of discarded fishing nets, helping 4,500 villagers in 14 collection sites in Danajon Bank and Bantayan Islands, Philippines. Stretched end to end, these nets would reach nearly 1 ½ times around the globe.

The NextGen grant from the Foundation will help fund growing awareness and education about Net-Works and inclusive business, as the program expands to an additional site in the Philippines and also into the Lake Ossa region of Cameroon.

 “Through Net-Works, we have been able to find a rare, unusual solution that addresses both human and environmental needs and is sustainable,” says Dr Heather Koldewey, Head of Global Conservation Programmes for ZSL. “It’s remarkable what a conservation charity and carpet company have achieved through a shared vision of a better world. The NextGen grant will help us to build on this important success story and use it as a means to engage coastal communities and achieve wider scale behavior change.”  

Net-Works Background

In poor Philippines coastal villages in and around Danajon Bank, where marine life and reefs are endangered, community members gather and bundle discarded nylon nets (which would otherwise last for 600 years) for shipment to Interface yarn supplier Aquafil, which has developed nylon recycling technology for the commercial carpet industry.  In these villages, 4,500 villagers have engaged with the program and can now:

• recycle their nets to earn extra income;
• access financial services through self-run community banks, so they can take out micro-loans for education and business ventures and have secure savings; and
• be empowered to clean beaches of old nets and ensure no more nets are discarded on the beach or in the water.

About the Ray C. Anderson Foundation

The Ray C. Anderson Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that seeks to promote a sustainable society by supporting and funding educational and project-based initiatives that advance knowledge and innovation in sustainability.   http://www.raycandersonfoundation.org

About Interface, Inc.

Interface, Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial carpet tile founded by Ray C. Anderson. For 41 years, the company has consistently led the industry through innovation, and now leads the industry in environmental sustainability. It is setting the pace for development of modular carpet using materials and processes that take less from the environment, and is well along the path to “Mission Zero,” a nearly 21-year-old company-wide promise to eliminate any negative impact it has on the environment by the year 2020. Interface’s worldwide carpet manufacturing facilities maintain third party registration to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System standard, and the company obtained the first-ever Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for the commercial floor covering industry in North America. The company is recognized globally for its commitment to build environmental considerations into its business decisions. For additional information visit www.interface.com.

About ZSL 

Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity whose mission is to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. The mission is realised through ground-breaking science, active conservation projects in more than 70 countries and two Zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. For more information visit www.zsl.org