CRI, CARE Form Stewardship Program

Dalton, GA, Dec. 16, 2014 -- The Carpet and Rug Institute and Carpet America Recovery Effort have formed a voluntary product stewardship program to assist sorters of post-consumer carpet diverted from the nation's landfills.

The program is market-based and designed to accept and manage all applicable post-consumer carpet, regardless of polymer type or primary materials or construction, the organizations said.

The program will provide financial assistance to qualified U.S. sorters who divert post-consumer carpet.

"Our members are participating voluntarily as part of our government relations activities, and have committed $4.5 million for the program's initial year," said Dan Frierson, CRI board chairman.

"The (program) will be a bridge for sorters as new technologies and applications are developed to increase market driven demand for all post-consumer carpet."

CARE will act as the stewardship organization. Since 2002, CARE members have diverted more than 3.25 billion pounds of carpet from U.S. landfills, the group said.

"The VPS Program is the key next step in our mission to divert more carpet from U.S. landfills," said Brendan McSheehy, CARE's chairman of the board.

"Sorters may use funds from the program to partner with their customers to divert carpet and recycle carpet back into useful consumer products, such as recycled carpet fiber, carpet cushion, broadloom, carpet tiles and a wide range of plastic products."

The program is scheduled to begin in January 2015. Sorters who qualify for financial assistance can expect to begin receiving funds by the end of June 2015.