Contact: Robert Peoples, Carpet America Recovery Effort (706) 428-2115

DALTON, GA, (January 16, 2004) – The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), the industry-led effort to reduce the flow of waste carpet to landfills, has announced the dates for its second annual conference. The annual conference will be held at Pensacola Beach, Florida at the Hilton Gardens and is slated for April 29-30, 2004.

Paul Hawken will be the featured speaker at the dinner on Thursday evening, April 29th. Mr. Hawken is an environmentalist, educator, lecturer, entrepreneur, journalist, and best-selling author. He is known around the world as one of the leading architects and proponents of corporate reform with respect to ecological practices. His writings and work have caused CEOs to transform their internal corporate culture and business philosophy towards environmental restoration.

His books have been published in over 50 countries in 27 languages. Growing a Business became the basis of a 17-part PBS series which Mr. Hawken hosted and produced. The program, which explored the challenges and pitfalls of starting and operating socially responsive companies, was shown on television in over 115 countries around the world. He serves as co-chair of The Natural Step-International, a non-profit educational foundation that teaches and supports environmental systems thinking in corporations, cities, and governments.

Tentative agenda items for the annual meeting include: report by the Board of Directors on the status of the CARE initiative; highlights from CARE’s second annual report; CARE’s three-year operational plan; forums for recycling entrepreneurs, carpet industry and government agencies; status of CARE sponsorship; update about “green” products and technologies; review of the CARE grant process; update on initial grants and announcement of CARE’s second grant award recipients.

The CARE conference is open to all interested parties. Visit the CARE website for all conference-related updates.