Mohawk Creates Backing Filler from Recycled Carpet

Marietta, GA, March 25, 2010--Mohawk Industries, in a partnership with Polar Materials Inc., has developed what it calls a first-of-its-kind carpet backing filler created from recycled carpet waste.

Polar Materials, is a Covington, Ga.-based company specializing in the use of recycled materials to replace mined minerals.

Mohawk said the partnership will help advance post-consumer recycling efforts and significantly reduce the amount of carpet waste sent to the landfill every year.

“Polar Materials’ C2C technology presents tremendous promise for the carpet industry,” said Vann Brown, vice president of innovation and technology, Mohawk Industries.

“Not only is it an environmentally responsible solution for increasing post-consumer recycled content in products, but it also minimizes the already heavy burden on our nation’s landfills by reducing carpet waste and improving the economics of carpet recycling.”

Waste sand, or calcium carbonate plus latex, from reclaimed carpet is put through the patent-pending process, which removes residual carpet fibers and blends the sand with limestone commonly used as filler for latex carpet backings.

The annual consumption of limestone in carpet exceeds 800,000 tons per year. Mohawk said that by replacing just 35 percent of limestone with the recycled carpet sand from C2C, more than 280,000 tons of carpet can be diverted from the landfills each year.

Mohawk said the filler satisfies Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard NSF-140 2007. Mohawk is currently using the material in its Mohawk Home division with plans to expand.

Polar Materials’ C2C carpet backing filler is produced in its Dalton, Ga. manufacturing facility.