Athens, GA, Feb.13--According to EPA statistics, about 14 billion pounds of fibrous waste is landfilled each year in the U.S. and approximately one third of this is post consumer carpet.
An alternative to landfilling is reclamation and reuse. To reduce the amount of waste carpet going to landfills, CARE (Carpet America Recovery Effort) was established last year through a national agreement signed by members of the carpet industry, representatives of federal, state and local government agencies and civic organizations.
CARE's mission is to keep 40% of waste carpet out of landfills by 2012. Partnering with CARE, researchers in the textiles department at The University of Georgia are collecting data on the amount of carpet that's being diverted from landfills. The information will be used in CARE’s first annual report, which will be published in March. The report will discuss how recovered carpet is reused, recycled, or used as an energy source. It will also assess market opportunities for products made from recycled content and the successes and obstacles encountered in recycling and reuse.
To provide an accurate report, researchers at UGA seek the participation of all carpet manufacturers, waste handlers and recyclers in the U.S. Surveys were mailed to these groups in January. Firms can also respond online at www.fcs.uga.edu/recyclecarpet, or by contacting UGA researchers directly. All survey responses are anonymous, and will only be used in the aggregate for CARE reporting purposes. Data is secure and not available online. Follow ups are in progress.
If you recycle carpet, or in some way help to keep carpet from entering the waste stream, please contact UGA at (706) 542-3758 to complete a CARE survey.
