Seeing an opportunity to find second homes for post-consumer carpet, PlanetReuse is forging new options beyond recycling, landfill and waste-to-energy. The company was founded to help architects and contractors connect with a variety of reclaimed building materials, including floor covering.
Nathan Benjamin, Founder and CEO of PlanetReuse, spoke about the organization’s efforts during the CARE Annual Conference held in Seattle earlier this year.
As Nathan notes, “It’s our mission to make reclaimed material reuse as easy as possible. So we do whatever it takes to make that happen – offering insight on how to incorporate materials into the design, finding a home for materials coming out of existing spaces and handling every last detail of the process.”
Reuse options for post-consumer carpet
PlanetReuse has found carpet tile to be modular, transportable and easily reinstalled.
Contractors, manufacturers and developers are the most common donors of reuseable carpet tile, which is then purchased by homeowners, DIYers, non-profits, apartment landlords, contractors and developers. PlanetReuse coordinates a seamless transfer between donors and buyers from any size project.
“For carpet tile that cannot be recycled (like cushion-backed tile), reuse is a great way to extend the life of tile without burning it or sending it to the landfill,” Nathan explains.
“You would be surprised what tile can be reused – there is a huge market for it. But, for carpet that is too worn or weathered for reuse, we rely on recycling and waste-to-energy efforts currently in place.”
Tap into PlanetReuse’s national network of coordinators
PlanetReuse’s brokering and consulting services help facilitate reuse opportunities locally and regionally, offering an alternative to sending surplus tile to landfill, hauling to a waste-to-energy facility or transporting long distances to recycle. This helps keep down time, costs and allows reuse to be a viable option on many projects.
The program also complements existing carpet manufacturer and partner sustainability programs. PlanetReuse works with these groups to create custom, mobile-friendly documents for internal use and to share with clients.
Carpet reuse results
PlanetReuse has recently revamped their carpet tile outreach and service program, and has reported an impressive 2,012,680 pounds of carpet reused from 2012 through July 2014, including more than 1,400,000 pounds in a single year.
The organization also offers monthly, quarterly or annual carpet reuse reporting by project, as well as LEED and Living Building Challenge documentation services.
Visit the reuse coordination page on the PlanetReuse website to learn more information and access a generic form to start the process. If you would like to create a company-specific program, email PlanetReuse directly at info@planetreuse.com.
