Over 100 industry professionals from across the country gathered in Chattanooga, Tennessee earlier this month for CARE’s 24th Annual Conference. Speakers presented on topics ranging from leadership lessons from the Battle of Chattanooga to backstamping. Design for Circularity and Extended Producer Responsibility came up frequently for discussion. Talks on mass balance and artificial intelligence (AI) were well received. A lively roundtable session had participants working with different future scenarios for the industry and imagining what advice they would send back to the present day.
Conferees on the Mill tour
Some attendees stayed until the day after the Conference to tour facilities of Engineered Floors and Tarkett, for a close-up view of commercial and residential product manufacturing.
Several attendees posted about the Conference, noting the vibrant discussions and air of collaboration. Michael Marange, CEO of BTR Flooring and Recycling, said on Linkedin:
“What stood out most was the spirit of collaboration between stakeholders who historically operated in silos. Manufacturers, petrochemical companies, recyclers, distributors, compounders, trade organizations, and innovators are increasingly aligned around one reality: The future belongs to scalable circular platforms capable of turning waste streams into profitable domestic manufacturing opportunities.”
Kevin Line, R&D Director of CertainTeed Saint-Gobain noted,
“There is nothing glamorous about collecting, processing, and transporting end-of-life carpet. It is hard, gritty work. But that effort is the exact resource that makes our manufacturing possible.
I was there to share the good news: the system works. Because this group handles the heavy lifting on the front end, CertainTeed is able to deliver high-quality, 94% recycled products—siding, trim, and board and batten that look great on a home.
It was good to step into a room full of the people who make it all happen.”
GP Flooring Solutions posted:
“A standout session was the “Design for Circularity” panel (pictured above), which highlighted how manufacturers and designers are increasingly aligned around extending product life, improving recyclability and building systems that can scale
As New York prepares to mandate carpet recycling beginning in 2027, these conversations are more important than ever. It’s encouraging to see the industry moving in the right direction and coming together around practical solutions. …
The annual conference was a strong reminder that momentum is building and that real progress happens when the industry works together.”
CARE CEO and Executive Director Bob Peoples said,
“Conference feedback has been uniformly positive, one of our best conferences since the pandemic. We had 37 first time attendees, which shows the growing vitality of our industry and helps stimulate new thinking. This was an engaging, high energy, very productive meeting and sets the context as CARE gets ready to celebrate 25 years.”
Awards for Person and Recycler of the Year were presented on May 5th.
The 2027 Conference will be CARE’s 25th. We hope you will plan to join us!