State Of Maine To Increase Carpet Recycling Efforts

The state of Maine and the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), a national carpet recycling group, have entered an agreement designed to increase the recycling of post-consumer carpet by diverting used carpet away from landfills and promoting the use of products that contain post-consumer carpet content. The agreement was signed by Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner David Littell and representatives of CARE.

Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection Commissioner, David P. Littell, signs MOU with CARE Chairman Frank Hurd.
Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection Commissioner, David P. Littell, signs MOU with CARE Chairman Frank Hurd.

CARE is a voluntary, not-for-profit group formed by the carpet industry, government agencies, and others who have agreed to find ways to divert and reuse post-consumer carpet. Currently, approximately five billion pounds of used carpet finds its way into the nation’s landfills each year. Since 2002, CARE and its network of Reclamation Partners have helped divert over one billion pounds of carpet from landfills.

For its part, Maine will promote carpet recycling by seeking out reclamation opportunities for post-consumer carpet removed from government buildings and by using carpet pad under new carpet installations that is made from recycled carpet fiber. Made from cleaned and reprocessed carpet fiber, pad made from recycled carpet fiber is a safe and environmentally preferable choice.

“Used carpet is a bulky waste that is difficult and expensive to manage. Maine looks forward to adding the recycling of carpet to our efforts in developing alternatives to disposal in landfills,” said Commissioner Littell.

“CARE welcomes Maine into the growing fold of states willing to support CARE’s voluntary efforts to find market based solutions for the diversion of post-consumer carpet from landfills,” said CARE Board of Directors Chairman Frank Hurd.

Other Signatories

Other government departments that have signed on to this CARE MOU established in 2002 are:

  • Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
  • Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance
  • South Carolina Recycling Market Development Advisory Council
  • Washington State Department of Ecology
  • Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
  • Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
  • California Environmental Protection Agency
  • Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Georgia Department of Natural Resources
  • North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
  • Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Other signatories are:

  • Northeast Recycling Council
  • Lees Carpets
  • J&J Industries, Inc.
  • Mannington Commercial
  • Carpet and Rug Institute
  • C&A Floorcoverings, Inc.
  • BP/Amoco Fabrics & Fibers Co.
  • Shaw Industries
  • Solutia Inc.
  • Interface Americas Holdings, Inc.
  • Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies, University of Tennessee

2 COMMENTS

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  2. Facility Blog » Blog Archive » State Of Maine To Increase Carpet Recycling Effortsvery nice article. thank you.

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