Carpet Recycling: 2+ Billion Pound Surge in 2010 Per CARE

Carpet Recycling Surged Past 2 Billion Pounds in 2010 – CARE 2010 Report Online

According to the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), 2010 was a very good year for carpet recycling and so far the trend is not slowing in 2011. The information is contained in a presentation from Georgina Sikorski, executive director of the Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE, as we call it around here.

Here are the highlights:

• In 2010, CARE members diverted 338 million pounds of carpet from the landfill. Of that amount, 80% of it was recycled back into carpet or other products.

• Since 2002, CARE members have diverted more than 2 billion pounds of carpet. Georgina points out that it took 6 years to divert the first billion pounds, and only 3 years to reach the 2 billion pound milestone. 2011 is showing signs that the next billion may not take that long, she says.

• The rate of recycling has increased 490% since 2002 when CARE started measuring.

• 1129 people are employed in carpet recycling and reclamation in the U.S.

• CARE’s membership has increased by approximately 5x in two years – from 50 in 2009 to 341 in 2011.

You can see the entire presentation here:

2010 annual report

View more presentations from brichmo

I asked Georgina to provide some background into the current state of carpet recycling as well as challenges for the years ahead.

BR: The rate of recycling has increased, and that's good news. What is fueling the higher percentages?

GS: We are seeing a higher demand for post-consumer recycled fiber to be used in the plastics industry. This is being driven by lack of post-industrial recycled material and by increasing consumer demand for recycled-content products. We also continue to see carpet manufacturers increase the percentage of post-consumer recycled carpet content in their new carpet products.

BR: The 5.6% recycle rate is based on projected rates of carpet replacement, and not actual carpet discards. What if CARE compared to actual numbers rather than projections - would the percentages improve?

GS: We estimate that the diversion rate would be about 10% if we were to use actual discards rather than the projections for 2010 that were made back in 2002 when CARE put together its first memorandum of understanding.

BR: Will carpet manufacturers start thinking more about how to make their products easier to recycle?

GS: Carpet manufacturers are working on this challenge, and must balance this with the important requirements for performance, durability, style and value for the final consumer.

BR: What about PET and PTT carpets - anyone coming up with ideas for recycling that fiber? How big of a problem will that pose in years to come?

GS: Carpet manufacturers and other innovators are actively evaluating ways to recycle PET carpets. Today, PET carpets are recycled back into carpet cushion. We fully expect there to be a solution to PET recycling some time in the future. At present, we do not have a comprehensive solution.

Thank you, Georgina.

If you have any questions relating to CARE and carpet recycling, please let us know.

~ Bethany