- Who/What is CARE?
- How can I recycle my old carpet?
- How do I get in the business of recycling carpet?
- Where can I send old carpet?
- Does it cost anything to recycle old carpet?
- What does it cost to recycle old carpet?
- What kinds of products are made from old carpet?
- How much carpet goes to the landfill each year?
- How much carpet has been recycled so far?
- What is the CARE goal for recycling old carpet?
- How is CARE funded?
- Why is old carpet so hard to recycle?
Who/What is CARE?
CARE is the Carpet America Recovery Effort. The non-profit was created to oversee the goals and targets documented in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on January 8, 2002 by the carpet industry, a number of states, the federal EPA and a small group of non-governmental organization (NGO’s). Read more about CARE on our website.
How can I recycle my old carpet?
There is no simple, routine method in place today to recycle old carpet. Each case is individual since there is no infrastructure to handle old carpet at this time. CARE is working to help put that infrastructure in place. If you are a residential home owner you might ask your dealer for suggestions. If you are in the commercial sector, call your mill representative or specifier and tell them you want your old carpet recycled and they can work with you to try and make this happen. Please keep in mind, recycling costs money; it is not free. Costs vary with location and available systems. A list of CARE’s Reclamation Partners are available at the link below.
See a Map of U.S. Carpet Reclamation Operations
How do I get in the business of recycling carpet?
Our best advice is study the CARE website, then contact CARE. Remember, there is nothing routine about carpet recycling at this time. The economics can be very challenging.
Where can I send old carpet?
See: How can I recycle my old carpet?
What does it cost to recycle old carpet?
Most people see carpet as waste therefore it should be free. However, it costs money to pick it up, identify what kind of face fiber it is made of, break it down into the components that make it up, convert those components into a form that someone will buy and use to make a new product, and transport that raw material to the manufacturing location. There is capital to invest in equipment to do this, salaries of those who do the work, insurance, maintenance, energy costs, etc. That is why it is not free. Ultimately society must bear the cost of sustainability or it will not happen in a free enterprise system. Also see: “Does it cost anything to recycle old carpet?”
What kinds of products are made from old carpet?
Old carpet is going into composite lumber (both decking and sheets), tile backer board, roofing shingles, railroad ties, automotive parts, carpet cushion, stepping stones, etc. For a detailed listing and color photos see our product catalog and the CARE 2017 Annual Report. Many of these products last far longer than those they replace and avoid the cutting down of trees or the use of chemicals as preservatives. You can help keep carpet out of landfills by requesting these products or specifying these products in your projects. Recovery of the energy content from old carpet, since it is made from crude oil as a raw material, is also an important outlet.
How much carpet goes to the landfill each year?
We estimate 5 billion pounds of carpet was sent to the landfill in 2017.
How much carpet has been recycled so far?
Since CARE began in 2002, we know approximately 5 billion pounds of old carpet have been recovered. That number is growing each year. For details see the CARE 2017 Annual Report.
How is CARE funded?
CARE funding is based on a voluntary contribution system at this time. Companies become supporters of CARE at levels based on their industry sales. CARECorporate Sponsors are those who contribute at the recommended level. Green Sponsors contribute 150% of the recommended level. Sustainability Leadership Sponsors contribute 200% of the recommended level. Entrepreneurs who support the CARE effort contribute in kind. See a list of our current CARE sponsors.
Why is old carpet so hard to recycle?
A carpet is really a system, which is an assembly of parts. Each part has a role to play in the manufacture and performance of the carpet. A carpet is basically two components: the face fiber and backing system. Since most carpet in the US today is a tufted style with a latex backing we will use this as our example.
Face Fibers: this is the part of the carpet you see and walk on every day. There are four common face fiber types:
- Nylon 6,6
- Nylon 6
- Polypropylene (also know as olefin)
- Polyester
The face fiber is the most valuable part of the carpet for recycling. To recycle we must be able to identify and separate based on face fiber type. Each face fiber has completely different properties, which is why they must be separated. Face fiber typically makes up approximately ½ of the weight of the carpet but this can vary with construction.
Backing Systems: There are several types of backing systems used in the US today. The two most common are latex and polyvinylchloride (PVC). PVC backed carpets are easier to recycle today but are also more expensive and are used primarily in commercial settings. Latex backed carpets are what most people see in their homes. There are also additional layers in the backing system, which are typically polypropylene. Calcium carbonate is also employed as inert filler.
So, you can see, a carpet is a complex system with many components of different chemical composition. In order to recycle carpet it may be necessary to separate these components. Each step in the identification, separation, shredding and handling sequence adds another cost in the process of recycling old carpets.