Turning one million pounds of carpet into wood alternative

In just a little over 12 months on the market, NyloDeck® has reached an impressive milestone: one million pounds of carpet have been recycled into their superior composite decking material.

NyloDeck® is prepared from recycled nylon carpet fiber bonded by a VOC-free resin and contains no wood or PVC. The strength of the carpet fibers is key to making NyloDeck® one of the strongest and durable, yet lightweight, decking materials available. It also happens to be impermeable to moisture, which also makes it resistant to mold, mildew, stains, and swelling. Termites don’t like it either.

NyloDeck® is dyed all the way through the board and then embossed with a natural looking three-dimensional finish. This process allows it to be made in a variety of colors with unique grains similar to those found in natural wood. However, these boards won’t fade or splinter over time and are scratch-resistant.

In celebration of their achievement, NyloBoard (parent company of NyloDeck) invites Facebook users to take a guess at this question: If one giant red carpet was the only source for NyloDeck’s one million pounds of recycled carpet fiber used, what percentage of the Las Vegas strip would it cover? Guess correctly and you could win a prize!

EcoStrate: 100% post-consumer waste-based signs and flooring

While traffic signs are an everyday sight, the sign pictured above is unique in that it is produced from 100% post-consumer waste. Compared to the aluminum signs you’ll find roadside today, these signs from EcoStrate are less expensive, have a lower impact, and are less prone to theft by metal thieves.

EcoStrate uses patent-pending thermoforming to reform plastic waste into high-quality rigid panels. The process can use any size or type of carpet, including polyester, polypropylene, and the PVC backing, as well as plastic e-waste. The final product does not require blending with virgin materials, resulting in a 100% post-consumer waste product.

EcoStrate currently sources materials from R2 or e-Steward certified suppliers to avoid toxic or harmful contamination. EcoStrate hopes to eventually take back their product at the end of life to be recycled into fresh panels. Approximately one pound of waste can be reformed into one square foot of quarter-inch thick tile and no chemicals or water are added during manufacturing.

“We utilize about the same energy as a baler and create little or no emissions,” says Ron Sherga, founder of EcoStrate. “Since EcoStrate also avoids many of the steps that exist in current polymer recycling, we provide a materials solution that is 80% less in GHG emissions and water usage versus virgin materials. These findings are based on current EPA and DOE LCA models and data.”

Various patterns can be created through arranging the input plastics before thermoforming.

Mr. Sherga hopes that EcoStrate panels will ultimately find a wide variety of uses in addition to signage. EcoStrate is currently partnering with Texas Corporate Floors Inc to trial plastic floor tiles as an attractive alternative to vinyl and ceramic tiles. EcoStrate could be used to replace acrylic or polycarbonate materials in building materials, furniture, and more.

“Our vision is to use alternative energy, occupy distressed real estate, and empower persons with disabilities through employment and donations from sales.”

Tools for carpet removal and recycling

At CARE, we get a lot of questions about the best tools and procedures for carpet recycling from both consumers and professionals alike. We plan to feature some of our favorite tools and best advice over the coming months, so stay tuned.

The first step towards recycling carpet is pulling it up from the source. We prefer the Stand-Up Cutter and Carpet Peeler tools from Crain. These two tools allow for easy cutting, peeling, and removal of carpet while standing up. This ensures good ergonomics that will lead to fewer strain injuries and less back and knee pain.

The Jus-Push Cutter is used to slice glued-down carpet into easily removable strips. It features a sharp, hardened point that rides on the subfloor, pre-cutting the material and lifts the carpet into the blade. The heavy-duty handle is adjustable in length and double-locks for safety.

The Stand-Up Carpet Peeler is used grab hold of glued-down carpet and peel it away from the floor. A sharp pin is driven under the carpet with a kick. The shape of the tool acts as a lever for huge mechanical advantage to pull the carpet away from the floor.

While these tools make carpet removal easy, remember that debris-contaminated carpet will be more difficult to recycle and you should take steps to protect carpet during demolition. Cover the carpet with plastic to protect it from paint, drywall, plaster, and dirty boots. Carpet is never recyclable if it’s been exposed to asbestos. Avoid using tape to bind the rolls of carpet so that sticky residue isn’t left behind. Find your local CARE certified collector for more advice and local regulations and stay tuned for more recycling tips from CARE.

While CARE makes every effort to ensure accuracy, we make no recommendations or endorsements on products or procedures.  It is up to each user to make its own decisions on tools and techniques and CARE assumes no liability.

AB2398 Quarter 3 Report shows modest improvements and efficiency gains

There’s good news as CARE reports its quarterly results as the carpet stewardship organization in California under AB2398. There was a slight uptick in the gross weight of collected and recycled carpet during the past quarter. This was despite the closure of two carpet recycling businesses, which reduced processing capacity. While the gross collected pounds increased to 23.3M, it is estimated that it could be as high as 27M pounds when non-reporters are accounted for.

Gross weight of collected and recycled carpet in California

Another positive statistic is the decreasing amount of collected carpet that cannot be used and is disposed of by landfill. The trend hints that recycling efficiency is improving despite the continued trend of decreasing nylon face fiber. The face fiber data collected from California recyclers shows that nylon may have decreased by about 7 percentage points since the previous quarter while fibers reported as “other” were up.

Continued success in California requires improvements in existing processes but hinges on developing cost effective ways to recycle PET (polyester). CARE is still accepting research proposals from researchers at California universities interested in doing just that. But get your great ideas in soon, as the deadline for submission is this Friday, December 20.

Eric Nelson and Russ Delozier honored at CRI Annual Meeting

CARE would like to heartily congratulate board members Eric Nelson and Russ Delozier as the recipients of the 2013 Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award from the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).

The Smrekar award honors the late Dr. Joe Smrekar who served on a number of CRI committees and “set the standard” for service to the carpet and rug industry. Following his untimely death in 1998, Milliken & Company established the award to honor individuals who demonstrate exemplary service to the carpet and rug industry. Recipients are chosen by CRI staff members and for the first time, the vote ended in a tie resulting in two award winners.

Eric Nelson has 15 years of experience in the carpet manufacturing industry and is currently the Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Interface Americas. In 2007, Eric took over Interface’s ReEntry 2.0 program that seeks to recycle all types of carpet yarn and carpet backing. Mr. Nelson serves on the Strategic Issues Leadership Council and is a member of the Caprolactam Advocacy, Landfill, and NSF-140 task groups and the EPR and CARE Panel at CRI. Eric has served on the CARE board since 2008.

Russ Delozier is the Director of Sustainability for J&J Industries, where he manages all of the company’s sustainability initiatives and leads research programs to facilitate the development of new environmental directives. Mr. Delozier serves on the EPR and CARE Panel and the Landfill and NSF-140 task groups. He has served on the CARE board since 2008 and is the longest-serving carpet mill representative on the Carpet America Recovery Effort Board.

“CRI is as strong as its volunteers,” said Carpet and Rug Institute President Werner Braun. “The carpet industry represents an incredible depth and breadth of talented people. In Eric Nelson and Russ Delozier, you see two of the best. CRI is blessed by their energy and support.”

Past winners of the Smrekar award include, Howard Elder Ph.D, Robert Cannon, Alan Luedtke Ph.D, Dr. E.P. “Rusty’’ Willimon, Frank Endrenyi, Carey Mitchell, Jim Jolly, and Dan Frierson.

Save the Date! CARE’s 11th Annual Conference is May 6-8, 2014 in Seattle, WA

The upcoming new year means that the next CARE Annual Conference is just around the corner. 2014 marks our 11th meeting, which will be held May 6-8 at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel in Seattle, Washington.

Are you an Entrepreneur or small business owner? Are you a seller of manufacturing products? Are you a collector? A Customer? A Government Stakeholder? Do you work with or for Carpet Mills or Equipment Companies? Then this is the conference for you.

Don't miss our keynote speaker, Dr. David Crowe, Chief Economist & Senior Vice President at the National Association of Home Builders. Hear him speak to the state of our national economy and drill down to the specifics of flooring and carpet trends in the U.S. Also invited is Ms. Caroll Mortensen, Director of CalRecycle and responsible for the only EPR law on the books, AB 2398.

If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor or exhibitor, now is the time to register. Multiple levels of sponsorship and benefits are available. Contact Anthony Cline for more details.

Freeman Co. seeks to reduce carpet waste at tradeshows

We usually think of carpet as something that lasts years or even decades. However, carpet’s ability to provide comfort, reduce noise, and offer an attractive design makes it a key component of the estimated 100,000 tradeshows and conferences worldwide every year. The floors and aisles around the exhibition booths are covered in carpet that has been selected, cut, and freshly installed specifically for an event that may only run for a few days.

CES 2011 Show Floor (ETC@USC/Flickr.com/CC)

Consider the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which featured 3,239 exhibitors over 1.8 million square feet for four days in 2012. As you can see in the picture above, nearly every inch of the show floor is covered in carpet. The large size of these exhibitions and their short lifespan is one of the many reasons why the tradeshow industry is one of the largest users of carpet. Freeman is the largest service provider in this industry and provides logistics for over 11,000 events per year, including 135 of the 250 largest tradeshows in the US.

Freeman has an inventory of 3.2 million square yards of carpet that they rent to clients for events. While Freeman strives to offer their customers a wide variety of carpet including classic, custom and prestige colorfast carpet with borders, patterns and logo applications, they also hold themselves accountable to provide a greener service as well. For example, Freeman uses 98 percent recycled foam carpet padding, and also offers plastic carpet covering (Visqueen) containing between 50 and 75 percent recycled content. 

Beyond the carpets’ actual characteristics, perhaps Freeman’s most laudable practice is their carpet recycling. Following every tradeshow, rather than tearing up and disposing the well-trodden carpet, Freeman transports it back to their warehouses. They match like pieces of carpet together and seam them together into a roll that can be washed and reused. Aisle carpets are typically used 4 to 5 times and booth carpet used 6 times before reseaming isn’t possible or it doesn’t otherwise meet Freeman’s standards.

Recovered and cleaned carpet, ready for another show

A video of the carpet recovery and cleaning process can be seen here.

Freeman uses polypropylene-based carpets because they have the best color accuracy and are easiest to match during reseaming. Unfortunately, this limits the opportunities for carpet recycling once the carpet is considered unusable. In spite of this, Freeman has recycled over 60 million square feet of used aisle carpet since 2006. Some of the carpet is recycled into drainage pipe for septic systems and is reused in the manufacture of pet-related products, while higher-end carpet is sold for reuse in affordable rental housing applications. 

Freeman applies a lifecycle analysis for all the products they use at their tradeshows and is look at improving sustainability beyond carpet. For example, their rental booths are not only reusable, but consist of panels and aluminum that can be easily recycled. Freeman is also now trialing a program to reduce the use of Foamcore and other Styrofoam-backed sign materials.

Freeman’s sustainability efforts were also recently honored by the 2013 Trade Show Executive Readers’ Choice Innovation Awards, which selected Freeman as the winner in the “Most Innovative Green Initiative by a Service Provider” category. The award recognized Freeman for its company-wide sustainability efforts including a recent effort to recycle plastics from various waste streams – including cigarette butts – into new plastic exhibit shelves.

Given the size of the billion-dollar trade show industry, Freeman recognizes the value of small decisions throughout their business. “Small incremental change multiplied over our size and scope can make a huge impact”, says Carrie Freeman Parsons, Vice Chair of Freeman.