Shaw Unit Completes Final Run of PVC

  1. Home
  2. News
  3. Shaw Unit Completes Final Run of PVC
Shaw Unit Completes Final Run of PVC
Dalton, GA, December 9--Shaw Industries Inc. ran its last production of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) carpet backing on December 8. The PVC production line will be replaced with new tile manufacturing equipment designed to increase capacity while decreasing energy consumption. Additional recycling capacity also will be added to the facility. The backing for Shaw’s PVC tile products will be replaced with EcoWorx, a cradle to cradle product that can be sustainably recycled, has less embodied energy than traditional PVC carpet tiles, and maintains equal or greater performance. Since introduced in 1999, customers have self-selected EcoWorx over PVC backing, driving the new technology to over 80 percent of Shaw’s total carpet tile production today. New recycling equipment is being installed that can break down EcoWorx into its original components through an elutriation process. This material will be reassembled into new product at the tile manufacturing facility. The new equipment will prepare Shaw for the large volumes of post consumer tile that will begin to flow back to its buildings as it reaches the end of its useful life. Shaw encourages customers to recycle by offering the benefit of an environmental guarantee on its EcoWorx products— this ensures Shaw will pick up EcoWorx after use, at no charge to the customer, and recycle it into more EcoWorx. The capacity of the elutriation system will initially allow Shaw to recycle 1.8 million square yards of carpet per year. This equipment will enable the company to separate the backing and fiber in a single pass, and meet the anticipated future growth capacity requirement of returned post consumer material over the next 5 to 10 years. "As with any new project, sustainability was a key focus," said Jeff Galloway, director of tile operations. "In this case, necessary criteria for the initiative included reduced energy consumption for the production line and increased recycling capabilities. By infusing sustainability improvements in everything we do, we always strive for improvement and set the bar higher for ourselves, as well as the industry."


Related Topics:RD Weis, Shaw Industries Group, Inc.