Evergreen to Restart in 1Q
Augusta, GA, December 12, 2006--Augusta's long-dormant Evergreen Nylon Recycling plant will be restarted early next year, creating up to 100 jobs and keeping nearly 70 million pounds of waste carpet out of regional landfills, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
Shaw Industries Inc., the world's largest carpet maker, said Thursday it will fire up the east Augusta facility late in the first quarter of 2007 as part of the companywide environmental initiative Shaw Green Edge.
The $100 million facility was developed in 1999 through a joint venture between DSM Chemicals North America and AlliedSignal, later Honeywell International.
The plant, the only one of its kind, converts waste carpet into caprolactam, the raw material used to make nylon carpet fibers. It was shut down after less than two years in operation due to weak market conditions and problems with production efficiency.
Dalton, Georgia-based Shaw Industries acquired a 50 percent stake in plant as part of its 2005 acquisition of Honeywell's nylon carpet fiber business. It acquired DSM's 50 percent share earlier this year, according to thhe Augusta Chronicle.
Steve Bradfield, Shaw's director of environmental affairs, said it has always intended to restart the facility to supply caprolactam to its carpet factories "There is a tremendous amount of money invested in that facility," Mr. Bradfield said. "A lot of folks would like to see that capital put to work." The plant will create about 100 production and maintenance jobs, said Lisa Kirby, vice president of administration for DSM Chemicals North America, which will run the plant through an operating agreement with Shaw.
Shaw was a major buyer of the plant's recycled caprolactam during its short time in operation.
"We were very sad to see (the plant) go down," Mr. Bradfield said, adding that Evergreen's caprolactam was virtually indistinguishable from the virgin caprolactam that is produced at the adjacent DSM facility.
Shaw has about 20 million pounds of waste carpet stockpiled in local warehouses that will feed the plant once it goes online. The company is working with Augusta-based RBW Logistics as a potential waste carpet collector.
Mr. Bradfield said the efficiency problems that kept the facility from profitability during its first run have been solved. He declined to disclose the company's investment in the facility other than it is several million dollars.
Once restarted, the plant will be capable of processing 100 million pounds of post-consumer carpet each year, about 30 million pounds will be recovered caprolactam. The remainder -- a mixture of latex, plastic and calcium carbonate -- may eventually be used as a fuel source, Mr. Bradfield said.
When it opened the facility was heralded as an environmental milestone, garnering accolades such as Recycler of the Year by the Society of Plastics Engineers and runner up for the Technology of the Year award by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Related Topics:Shaw Industries Group, Inc.
