Interface’s ReEntry program demonstrates that circular economy is a ‘team sport’ in design.

In Minto, New South Wales, the rhythmic hum of the Interface factory underscores the quiet progression of an environmental mission. For Interface sustainability manager Aidan Mullan, the global flooring solutions company’s ReEntry program is not just another recycling initiative, but a beacon for how interior design can move towards circularity.

“At Interface, our ReEntry program is how we turn circular design into action, taking back used carpet tiles at the end of first service and finding smart ways of reusing and repurposing them – extending their lives,” Mullan explains.

Under ReEntry, post-consumer carpet tiles are returned to Interface’s Minto factory, where quality control teams inspect each piece. “They determine if they’re good enough for reuse, extended life or, if not fit for purpose, we collect them and send them for remanufacturing into new carpet,” Mullan explains.

Turning waste into a resource

The recent ReEntry case study, captured in the video above, traces one such journey from a corporate office in Queensland, stopping over at Interface’s manufacturing plant in New South Wales and concluding at a creative business in the state’s Southern Highlands.

The process began at the Gasworks office building in Brisbane, owned by Dexus, where Interface’s defit partner Industry 7 uplifted the original carpet tiles. For Industry 7’s managing director Jason Chinnick, the experience engaging with ReEntry for the first time highlighted both the challenges and opportunities of material recovery in the construction and fitout sector.

“In our line of work, we see a lot of waste,” says Chinnick. “It’s actually terrible how much waste is in the building industry.” This is at odds with client intentions Chinnick has observed in the fitout space. “We have found our clients want data on what is recycled because obviously they’ve got targets to meet,” he says.

The first part of the ReEntry starts on-site, where existing carpet is removed. For Chinnick and his team, the process simply involves protecting the tiles during demolition. “Then we take the protection off and lift the carpet to be recycled.”

In the case study, rather than treating the product as demolition debris, Industry 7 carefully stacked the tiles for transport back to Minto. “We pulled up the carpet using the original installation method,” Chinnick explains. “We just have to stack it a certain way and protect it for transit.” 

From office to art space

Once processed and cleared for reuse, the recovered carpet found a new home at Arthead, a fine art retailer and framing studio in Mittagong, NSW. For director Sonja Millis, the partnership fulfilled a key objective.

“When we moved, we had to recycle all of our materials, that was one of our main priorities,” she says. “When we came across Interface and we saw the reuse program, it went with our philosophy. Interface made the whole process really easy for us. The end product just looks amazing.”

Millis says Interface’s broader sustainability ambitions – including its drive towards carbon-negativity – were an added incentive. “That inspires me as a small business to actually do better.”

Circular economy as a team sport

Mullan emphasises that closing the loop is not a solitary pursuit, but a shared responsibility. 

“The circular economy is a team sport,” he says. “It involves the building owner, it involves the specifier, the project manager, the contractor and us as product manufacturers to ensure it works. We must put value on what we used to call waste. We must keep this within our economy as long as possible and find a good use for it.”

The ReEntry program stands as a working example of how willing collaboration between manufacturer, contractor and client can deliver meaningful environmental outcomes. ReEntry proves that with the right systems in place, flooring can be a foundation for progress.

Learn more about the ReEntry program and how to get involved on the Interface website.