By Fred Williamson, Vice president of operations, Starnet Worldwide and CARE board member
Like the old saying about retailing, the reclamation of carpet is all about three simple things: location, location and location. For retailers and installers looking to recycle and reuse post-consumer carpet, their geographic location will determine the ease with which they will be able to effectively and economically recycle the old carpet they encounter in the marketplace. Issues include their proximity to a carpet reclamation facility, local and state regulations, and local landfill disposal costs.

As retailers and installers begin to explore a carpet reclamation program, they must determine the opportunities and challenges associated with their geographic location. Differences in location can significantly influence the business model for carpet reclaimers in an area.

High landfill disposal costs in the Northeast tend to favor the recovery of discarded carpet, while lower disposal costs in the western United States may impede the progress of carpet reclamation. If reclamation fees are higher than landfill disposal fees, some consumers will forego reclamation because of increased costs. In the highly competitive floor covering market, even a slight price increase attributed to reclamation can negatively influence a customer’s purchase decision unless the retailer and installer effectively communicate the overall environmental, social and economic benefits of reclaiming post-consumer carpet.

Today, the greatest opportunity in carpet reclamation for retailers and installers lies in developing partnerships with carpet collectors, processors and manufacturers. Retailers, dealers and installers should begin their search for reclamation opportunities by seeking a mutually beneficial relationship with a reclamation facility in their area. The easiest way to get information about a facility’s usage requirements is to contact the reclamation center directly.

Most reclamation centers are independently owned and operated by local entrepreneurs, and their rules and procedures can vary significantly. For this reason, dealers and installers should contact all reclamation facilities within their region to determine which facility is the best fit for their needs. A complete list of Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) Reclamation Partners can be found at www.carpetrecovery.org.

Over the past five years, CARE has seen significant growth in its Reclamation Partner Network; however, many regions are still without a carpet reclamation center. The next-best option is to work with carpet manufacturers to determine whether reclamation opportunities are available for specific projects. Often, manufacturers can facilitate carpet reclamation through their own reclamation programs for projects in regions without independent facilities. In these cases, retailers and installers are encouraged to work with manufacturers’ sales representatives and sustainability personnel to determine if reclamation is available for a specific project.

Lastly, retailers and installers can help the carpet reclamation movement by partnering with CARE to promote products that contain post-consumer materials. Currently, the greatest challenge facing the developing carpet reclamation industry is increasing sales of post-consumer recycled content carpet. More and more post-consumer content flooring products are on the market— encouraging the diversion of old carpet and promoting the industry’s ability to reclaim and reuse it.

Frontline salespeople have a unique opportunity to create excitement about the growing carpet recycling movement by informing the public about carpet reclamation and the available environmentally friendly products. To learn more about these products and the environmental benefits they provide, contact sales representatives within the carpet industry or your regional reclamation center.

In order for CARE and the carpet recycling industry to be successful, all industry members, from manufacturers to installers, must be committed to the diversion of post-consumer carpet at the local level. Some flooring firms have demonstrated their overall commitment to this environmental movement by implementing programs that guarantee all their post-consumer carpet will either be recycled or reused, while other firms have partnered with CARE via its new membership program.

Carpet is the common fiber that binds this divergent community of stakeholders. With determination and commitment, the industry, consumers and the environment will benefit from this innovative, new industry.

CARE is built on a working, cooperative relationship between carpet and fiber manufacturers, the Carpet & Rug Institute, state and federal government agencies and non- governmental organizations. This non-profit’s stated objective is to divert 40% of the 5 billion pounds of post-consumer carpet annually deposited in our nation’s landfills by 2012. CARE plans to accomplish this goal by enhancing the collection infrastructure for post-consumer carpet while serving as a resource for business, product and market development opportunities. It is, quite literally, at the forefront of building a new industry from the “floor up.”