• 8th Annual CARE Conference – Save the Date
• Call for Papers – 8th Annual CARE Conference
• 8th Annual CARE Conference Sponsorship and Exhibit Opportunities Available
• 2009 Entrepreneur Meeting – Atlanta, GA
• Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Blog
• CARE is now on Facebook
• CARE participates in Seattle Buildex and the NW Carpet Recycling Business Roundtable
• Carpet into Ford Fusion and Escape Vehicle Head Covers
• Monthly Carpet Collector’s Call
• CARE Membership Program
• Letters …

Dear CARE Supporters

Hello everyone. Where did 2009 go? (So far, it has not slowed down since I joined CARE in April…

It’s gratifying to me to be able to share some of CARE’s key happenings and accomplishments with you, the members of CARE.

CARE BOD Officers I am pleased to announce that the following CARE members have been unanimously elected to serve as officers on the CARE Board:

• Frank Hurd, re-elected Chairman
• Brendan McSheehy, Director of R&D, Universal Fibers, Treasurer
• Jeremy Stroop, CARE Operations Manager, Secretary

In his role as Treasurer, Brendan has also agreed to Chair our Membership Committee. The goal of this committee is to ensure that we are providing our members with the resources and support they need that will increase the value of CARE membership, and to help recruit new CARE members. If any of you have ideas to share about either of these issues, please contact Brendan.

Aligned Dealer Program- Mohawk, Shaw, and Starnet dealers will soon be introduced to a new Aligned Dealers program rolling out this quarter. In the program, aligned dealers who join CARE will be given a discount on membership fees. Each new member will also receive a special member packet, including a framed certificate, window cling, counter card, business card template, press release template, and other marketing materials to help them show their customers they are making a sustainable difference. We are very excited about this program and plan to roll it out to other dealers based on the success of the initial launch. Stay tuned for more news. If you visit an Aligned Dealer and see some of these materials in their stores, please let them know that you appreciate their support.

Memorandum of Understanding- Believe it or not, negotiations for the MOU will begin again in 2010. The current MOU expires in 2012, so we are preparing now for our first face-to-face meeting with interested stakeholders. Entrepreneurs are represented through Board members Paul Ashman, Ron Greitzer, Dick Kruse, and Sean Ragiel, so please contact them with specific ideas or comments you have about the MOU.

If you want to learn more about carpet recycling or if you are passionate about the environment, please go to and join CARE. You will be glad you did.

Working to make a sustainable difference,

Georgina Sikorski
CARE Executive Director

8th Annual CARE Conference – Save the Date

La Posada De Santa Fe – April 26 – 28, 2010

You won’t want to miss the 8th Annual CARE Conference in rustic Santa Fe, New Mexico. Featuring adobe-style architecture, vibrant artwork, the La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa is an ideal Southwestern escape and conference center. The La Posada Resort is located within walking distance of Santa Fe’s Historic Plaza, which hosts Native American markets, art galleries and distinctive cuisine options for all taste buds.

• Do you want to be among the first to learn the diversion results for 2009?
• Do you want to know how the Carpet Manufacturers are influencing the flooring industry to create viable outlets for post-consumer carpet materials?
• Are you interested in learning about the latest advances in identification and processing technologies?
• Are you curious about new products currently being marketed that contain post-consumer carpet material?
• Are you exploring the role that government procurement activity and legislation will play in the future supply and demand of recovered carpet materials?
• Do you have a vested interest in the protection of the environment?

If you answered yes to any of these important questions about the carpet recycling industry and its impacts, you need to join us in Santa Fe for the 8th Annual CARE Conference.

Call for Papers – 8th Annual CARE Conference

CARE seeks academically, high quality studies of issues related to any aspect of carpet reclamation or recycling. We encourage you to submit topic papers from all disciplines as we seek to provide a multi- disciplinary perspective on the currently climate of carpet reclamation. CARE welcomes a wide variety of papers, from innovative carpet recycling processes to policy-oriented discussions. This year we are especially interested in additional end-market opportunities, processing technologies, extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies and funding opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Submission Procedure: Please submit an abstract by February 15, 2010 by email to Jeremy Stroop

Papers will be chosen based on the submitted abstract, the informational needs of the conference and relevance to carpet reclamation as a whole.

8th Annual CARE Conference Sponsorship and Exhibit Opportunities Available

Contact Jeremy Stroop at 706.428-2127.

2009 Entrepreneur Meeting – Atlanta, GA

Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) held its Sixth Annual Entrepreneur Meeting on October 28, 2009 at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Hotel. CARE hosted over 60 representatives from over 47 different organizations with a vested interest in the carpet recycling industry. The purpose of the CARE Entrepreneur Meeting is to focus on the needs and issues of the entrepreneurial carpet collection and processing community in a collegial and open atmosphere, while providing an informal networking forum for the attendees of the meeting.

This year’s meeting addressed the difficult economic conditions facing the carpet recycling industry, the renegotiation of CARE’s Memorandum of Understand of Carpet Stewardship for 2012, new product opportunities that use post-consumer carpet as a feedstock, as well as State and Federal grant programs for CARE’s Entrepreneurs. The limited number of outlets for post-consumer carpet in the production of products continues to hinder the growth of this new industry. One of CARE’s goals in 2009 was the discovery of additional market opportunities for the plastic derived from the recycling of carpet. During the New Product Opportunity Session, GeoHay, Ravago Americas and Polar Materials described how their respective organizations were using the recovered carpet materials and the potential expansion of their manufacturing use.

Sean Ragiel, president of Carpetcycle, moderator and defacto leader of CARE’s Entrepreneurs for 2009, put together a fantastic meeting that addressed the concerns and needs of the carpet recycling community in an atmosphere that promoted the sharing of open and frank ideas. “The leadership has never been stronger. Sean Ragiel has done a fantastic job stepping up and taking over the leadership of CARE’s Entrepreneurs for 2009. The meeting engaged all attendees because Sean made sure everyone had an opportunity to share their concern or their experience,” highlighted Ron Greitzer, President of Los Angeles Fiber and Reliance Carpet Cushion, when asked about this year’s meeting compared to previous years.

“CARE’s 6th Annual Entrepreneur Meeting attracted a couple dozen new participants; the atmosphere was very positive after multiple optimistic forecasts were presented regarding the increased use of recovered post-consumer carpet components in manufacturing. The future is bright for this emerging industry, yet patience and persistence must rule the day,” commented Sean Ragiel when asked about the results of the meeting and the future of the industry. CARE continues to develop programs that assist the entrepreneur community based on their request from the meeting. One project that will be implemented at the request of the entrepreneurs is a universal reclamation certificate that can be used to quantify the amount of carpet diverted for a particular project. Once the carpet diversion is tallied, the certificate will be presented to the project manager or building owner as proof of their reclamation efforts.

Visit the Entrepreneur Meeting Webpage to see pictures and power points from this year’s meeting.

Carpet and Rug Institute – Blog

I encourage CARE members and friends to subscribe to the CRI Blog. You have two options available: subscribe for email updates [new blogposts will go directly to your email inbox] or for updates via RSS feed [to your feedreader – e.g., Bloglines].

Simply click on http://www.criblog.org, look on the right sidebar for ‘Subscribe’ and enter your email address into the subscription box. You’ll be asked to transcribe some characters – to make sure you’re human – which will trigger an email that you will need to open, and then click on the link within to complete the verification process. That’s it. You’re done!

If you have any comments or ideas for stories, we’d be happy to hear from you.

Bethany Richmond
Communications Manager
The Carpet & Rug Institute
706-428-2125

CARE is now on Facebook

Why not join our new group on Facebook. That’s right, CARE is now part of the social phenomenon that is sweeping the nation. Our Facebook page gives you the opportunity to hear about the latest trends in carpet recycling, message others in the industry and learn about CARE’s upcoming events.

If you are signed in as a Facebook user, just click here to be taken directly to our page to become a member of CARE’s Facebook page.

If you do not have a Facebook page but would like to register for one, you can sign up to become a Facebook user by clicking here.

CARE participates in Seattle Buildex and the NW Carpet Recycling Business Roundtable

The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) journeyed to the Seattle, Washington to participate in the Seattle Buildex Tradeshow and Northwest Carpet Recycling Business Roundtable in order educate architects, designers, facility managers, recycling professionals and government policy and procurement officers about carpet landfill diversion and recycling. CARE’s participation at Seattle Buildex through an exhibitor booth that highlights various products made from post-consumer carpets, introduced almost 2000 attendees to the concept of carpet reuse and recycling, while providing a hands-on experience that demonstrates the numerous products that can be made from material derived from carpet headed to the local landfill.

The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) journeyed to the Seattle, Washington to participate in the Seattle Buildex Tradeshow and Northwest Carpet Recycling Business Roundtable in order educate architects, designers, facility managers, recycling professionals and government policy and procurement officers about carpet landfill diversion and recycling. CARE’s participation at Seattle Buildex through an exhibitor booth that highlights various products made from post-consumer carpets, introduced almost 2000 attendees to the concept of carpet reuse and recycling, while providing a hands-on experience that demonstrates the numerous products that can be made from material derived from carpet headed to the local landfill.

While in Washington, CARE’s operations manager Jeremy Stroop, participated in a Carpet Recycling Business Roundtable and Product Procurement Meeting hosted by the Seattle and King County. The focus of the two meetings was to support the establishment of carpet processing capacity in the Northwest regional, while developing end-market outlets for carpet-derived commodities. The meeting was attended by the carpet industry, recycling professional, government organizations and non- governmental organizations.

“It is encouraging to see the leadership position Seattle and King County have taken to divert carpet from their landfills. After realizing the untapped value of plastics in the form of carpet waste, the people of Seattle and King County are taking a proactive position to determine the best way to recover this valuable resource. Their vision to include all stakeholders, from the carpet manufacturer all the way down to the recycler that makes a plastic pellet for use in products, will provide them the greatest opportunity for success. CARE is honored to be invited to the roundtables and hopes to work side-by- side with Seattle and King County to find solutions to divert old carpet from landfills,” explained Jeremy Stroop of CARE when asked about the unique way Seattle and King County are approaching the carpet landfill problem.

Carpet into Ford Fusion and Escape Vehicle Head Covers

Dana Holding Corporation (NYSE: DAN) announced today that it is supplying cylinder-head covers made of recycled material on Ford Motor Company’s 3.0-liter Duratec engine, used in the 2010 Fusion and Escape vehicles – providing significant cost and environmental benefits.

Manufactured using EcoLon® nylon, the cover is the first automotive product of its kind manufactured from post-consumer recycled (PCR) nylon. Dana partnered with Wellman Engineering Resins – a leading compounder and supplier of high-quality nylon resins – to test, develop, and supply the material.

To repurpose nylon, Wellman grinds used nylon carpeting into fiber and recaptures the material through a proprietary process. The resulting product is a high-quality nylon resin, which Dana then uses to mold into cylinder-head covers through its injection- molding process.

“The push to go green in the automotive arena has never been greater; the challenge is to deliver solutions that also are economical,” said Marty Bryant, president of Light Vehicle Products for Dana. “Dana successfully met that challenge for Ford by providing an innovative cover made from recycled material and, thanks to EcoLon’s fixed raw material cost, we’re passing on substantial cost savings to the customer.”

Greener engines and cost savings aren’t the only customer benefits. The robust, highly durable nylon covers also provide greater fuel economy due to weight savings of nearly 20 percent when compared with aluminum die-cast cylinder-head covers.

“Dana’s state-of-the-art testing capabilities, coupled with its advanced manufacturing and engineering expertise, provided us with the resources needed to develop a highly-engineered, sustainable product that works well for the automotive industry. We’re pleased to have partnered with Dana on this program for Ford Motor Company,” said Bob Dastou, Southeast Regional Account Manager, Wellman Engineering Resins.

The cylinder-head covers are part of a module-based sealing system Dana supplies for the Ford Fusion and Escape programs, which also includes the engine cover, gaskets, fasteners, baffle/air-oil separator, and isolators.

Dana developed, tested, and is manufacturing the cylinder head covers at its Composite Sealing Center in Paris, Tenn.

Monthly Carpet Collector’s Call

Do you want to know what is going on in the carpet recycling industry? Are you looking for a way to network with other organizations collecting post- consumer carpet? Are you trying to find ways to increase your company’s reach and opportunities? Are you looking for mutually beneficial arrangements to take on large scale carpet reclamation opportunities?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to consider signing up for CARE’s Monthly Collector’s Call. The calls are hosted and coordinated by carpet recycling veteran and CARE board member, Sean Ragiel of CarpetCycle. The calls are setup to be tool to help collectors and entrepreneurs share market information, collection and processing best practices and potential networking opportunities.

If you are an active collector and interested in joining CARE for the Monthly Collector’s Calls, please email the following information:

• Company Name
• Location
• Website Address
• Phone Number
• Email Address
• Point of Contact

Note – In order to participate in the monthly collector call, your organization must be an active collector of post-consumer carpet.

CARE Membership Program

Membership That Makes a Sustainable Difference

If you are either directly involved in, or aligned with, the carpet industry, please support the efforts of CARE and do your part to make a sustainable difference. As a member of CARE, you will be part of a nationwide organization that is diverting carpet from the landfill and finding valuable uses for post-consumer carpet.

You can now sign up to be a member of CARE on line. Using drop down menus, you can find which CARE member category fits you or your organization.

Types of Membership

CARE membership categories include: member, affiliated association, international organization, individual supporter or student.

Member Benefits

As a member of CARE, you will enjoy:

• Organizational Privileges
• Networking with other CARE members
• Significant Discounts on Annual Meeting
• Access to Member Only Resources
• Marketing Support
• Promotion on the CARE Web Site
• Use of the CARE Logo

In the Member Only Section, you will now be able to find other members using our Member Directory, access Marketing Materials, apply to present at the next Annual meeting, and enjoy many other features. Check out the CARE website for more information.

Join CARE Now!

Letters…

We would like your feedback on this newsletter, ideas, concerns, or questions. We’ll include them in future newsletters.

Thanks!