Yellowstone Partnership Diverting Plastic Bottles

Yellowstone Park, WY, Sept. 28, 2012 -- A new partnership between Yellowstone National Park, the Yellowstone Park Foundation, and private corporations is now diverting the plastic bottles collected in Yellowstone to be made into carpet backing here in the U.S.

Last year, the park diverted 72.6% of its waste from landfills, and it is working to increase that to 100% by 2016.

In 2011, Yellowstone recycled more than 56 tons of plastic. Rather than sending it somewhere to be shipped overseas, park staff sought an alternative destination closer to home.

United Textile Technologies is purchasing all the recycled plastic bottles collected in Yellowstone.

The plastics are converted into a fleece yarn, incorporated into carpet backing and supplied to companies that manufacture carpeting and artificial turf.

One carpet company, Georgia-based Signature Crypton Carpet, has created “carpets with a conscience,” a product line made exclusively with the Yellowstone plastics backing.

One of the early buyers of the carpet was Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Yellowstone’s lodging concessioner, who installed it in the Old Faithful Snow Lodge dining room last year.

In November, Signature Crypton Carpet launched the Yellowstone Collection.

The company pledged to donate to the Yellowstone Park Foundation 50 cents for every square yard sold.

In June, Signature Carpet presented a check for $50,000 to the Yellowstone Park Foundation.