The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) recently released the figures on its diversion and recycling efforts for 2007. The group announced that the efforts achieved a double digit growth in recycling and diversion for the sixth year in a row. The CARE 2007 Annual Report included the following statistics:
* 296 million pounds of post-consumer carpet diverted, a 17% increase
* 275.1 million pounds recycled, a 19% increase
* CARE reached a milestone of a cumulative diversion of one billion pounds since its inception in 2002
* 149 million pounds of carpet diverted, on average, per year since 2002
* Carpet Recycling results in a net GHG emission of 1.96 metric tons of Carbon Equivalent per Ton of carpet (MTCE/ton)–far better than most other common materials that are recycled, according to CARE
* CARE’s Reclamation Network grew to 56 members in 2007
2007 Awards
In other CARE news, the group presented its EPA/CARE Innovation Awards at its recent annual conference, held in Clearwater, FL.
The EPA/CARE Award, established and awarded for the first time at this year’s conference, recognizes innovation as it relates to any aspect of carpet recycling. Interface was presented the award for its ReEntry 2.0® carpet recycling program. ReEntry 2.0 reclaims all types of carpet (commercial and residential) regardless of face fiber type or backing used. Through a new patent pending technology, Interface can cleanly separate the face fiber and backing of nearly any carpet type.
The CARE Recycler of the Year – Large Entity Award was presented to Shaw Industries, for its Shaw Green Edge initiative. The cornerstone of Shaw’s environmental vision is cradle-to-cradle production, which will allow synthetic products, such as carpet, to be collected and then manufactured into new product repeatedly. The Shaw Green Edge Program encompasses over 100 environmental initiatives and was introduced following Shaw’s purchase of the Evergreen Recycling facility in Augusta, GA.
Honored by CARE as the Carpet Recycler of the Year – Small Entity was Kruse Carpet Recycling of Indianapolis, IN. As a collection and sorting center opened in 1997, Kruse Carpet recycling guarantees customers that none of their carpet will go to landfills.
CARE Person of the Year was Russ DeLozier, who sits on the CARE Board of Directors and has been active in the industry since taking over the Evergreen facility that Shaw Industries now owns in 2006. The majority of Russ’ experience has been in startup or operation of various types of plastic plants, including those manufacturing nylons, styrene block copolymers, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene.
