40% of the fiber in some of Mohawk’s carpets will be produced from corn sugar.

By Matthew Spieler
Hicksville, N.Y.—Until recently, protecting the environment has primarily been a concern of manufacturers and large corporations. Lately though, advancing technologies have brought the green movement directly to Main Street businesses and consumers.

For more than a decade, Mohawk Industries has been one of those large companies that has quietly made sustainability a core component of its business. The majority of its efforts have been either behind the scenes such as reducing phosphorous emissions at its factories by 70% over the last two years, or in producing environmentally friendly goods for the commercial sector. But new technologies coupled with a driving desire by consumers have led the company to not only start promoting the good things it is doing, but bring this concept of environmental stewardship to the residential market.

“For years,” said Mike Zoellner, Mohawk’s vice president of marketing services, “we’ve had all kinds of positive initiatives but have never bragged about them.”

That is changing, he explained because “with more consumers, builders and Main Street businesses inquiring about green products and initiatives, it’s important for dealers to know what we’re doing.”

More so, Zoellner noted since many of the company’s initiatives are starting to directly impact dealers and end users—from new products designed specifically for the residential segment to collecting used carpets taken up by retailers in order to avoid putting them in the landfill.

Interestingly, some of Mohawk’s green programs have already been having a direct impact on dealers and consumers, and these have nothing to do with cutting emissions or using only half the amount of water than it did in 1995 to make a yard of carpet.

In fact, officials point out that more than 200 products produced by Mohawk contain recycled materials.

The biggest and most noticeable is in its polyester (PET) business, where Mohawk recycles plastic soda and water bottles into polyester fiber for use in its carpet and home furnishing products. The company is not just one of the world’s largest in this area, it annually uses 25% of all the bottles collected in North America. That translates to three billion bottles which produces 160 million pounds of recycled fiber. Since 1999, Mohawk has kept more than one billion pounds of bottles out of the landfills.

David Duncan, vice president of marketing, said because of federal regulations for bottles containing food products, the recycled resin is often higher quality than Mohawk could buy as brand new product from a plastics supplier. “So consumers are getting carpet with recycled materials that is as good—or better—than carpet made with all new materials.”

Mohawk doesn’t just use the bottles, the caps are thrown in with stretch film waste, carpet edge trim and post-consumer carpet to make durable plastic cores. “The plastic cores are less likely to break than paper cores, and this helps prevent damage to carpet in transit,” explained Duncan. “The plastic cores can also be used many more times, and when they’re too old or worn, the plastic is again melted down and recycled to make new cores.” It’s estimated that by using plastic rather than paper, Mohawk saves over 68,000 trees annually.

Old tires are another source of foodstock for the manufacturer. In the last year alone, Mohawk recycled 10 million pounds of crumb rubber tires into designer door mats. This is the equivalent of 720,000 tires or more than are on every taxi cab in Chicago.

Beyond the tires, the manufacturer also has a need for car windshields. The mill’s Unibond RE and Ultra Performance System RE backing systems contain post-consumer recycled materials that come from automobile windshields.

Mohawk’s green programs have been lauded by many, including the U.S. General Services Administration, which in 2003 honored the manufacturer with its Evergreen Award. Each year, three companies are selected to receive the government award for operations that respect and protect the quality of the environment.

Before the end of 2007, dealers and consumers will see one of Mohawk’s newest green initiatives as commercial production will begin on the first bio-based SmartStrand fiber made with DuPont Sorona polymer. Instead of petroleum, 40% of the fiber will be produced from corn sugar.

“This product will be exclusive to Mohawk in carpet,” Duncan said, “and is an example of how technology is giving the industry the ability to replace some petroleum dependence with renewable and sustainable resources.”

He stressed there is no compromise in performance with the new yarn system, and bio-based fiber will begin appearing in Mohawk carpet by late 2007.

“We’re all more aware of how issues like energy and the environment can make an impact on our lives, and people are starting to make their voices heard in the marketplace,” Duncan added. “You see this with the growth in organic foods, in cause marketing like the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and other programs where people feel their purchases are not just for products, but for a greater good. We believe Mohawk has a good story to tell for its efforts in developing sustainable products, and we’re at work on a number of other ideas to expand this effort.”

Jeff Lorberbaum, Mohawk’s chairman and CEO, said environmental stewardship is one of the core values within the company. “Quality of life, quality of the environment, quality of products and processes is a by-product of all we do—from the boardroom to the employees on the production floor and to our field sales staff.

“Doing the right thing takes effort,” he concluded, “but we’ve learned that what works for the environment, works for our business, our industry and all of us.”