Cradle to Cradle Recycling
Waste-to-Energy Recycling
Downcycling
While cradle to cradle recycling is the most sustainable option, not all carpet can be recycled in this manner. EcoWorx backing and Eco Solution Q fiber are among the first products in the world to be designed for cradle to cradle recycling. Downcycling and waste-to-energy recycling are transitional strategies that Shaw employs until more sustainable solutions can be implemented.
That's the Shaw Green Edge |
With the exception of EcoWorx, a replacement order through Shaw must be placed in order to qualify for the carpet recycling program. EcoWorx will be recycled, free of charge, regardless of future orders.
To arrange for carpet recycling, call Shaw Inforum at 1-877-502-SHAW
Cradle to Cradle Recycling
In a cradle to cradle system, the carpet backing and yarn face are separated, broken down and reprocessed. The backing becomes more backing, and yarn becomes more yarn, over and over again - with no compromise in aesthetics or performance. In this closed-loop system, the recycled materials are returned into the same commercial carpet product that existed before recycling.
Shaw has a fully operational cradle to cradle carpet recycling facility in Cartersville, GA for its polyolefin EcoWorx backing. EcoWorx is separated from the nylon face through an elutriation process, and the polyolefin is returned directly to the extrusion process to become more EcoWorx backing of equal quality and value. To ensure EcoWorx stays in this perpetual loop, it is also backed with an environmental guarantee. This means Shaw will pick up an EcoWorx product, at no charge to the customer, and recycle it into more EcoWorx. Not only does this save the end-user on shipping and landfill tipping fees, but it reduces the use of new raw material.
Waste-to-Energy Recycling
Shaw employs the use of waste-to-energy recycling as a transitional strategy for disposing of used carpet until additional cradle to cradle products and solutions can be implemented. The waste-to-energy process combusts waste at furnace temperatures exceeding 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, thereby destroying pathogens, bacteria and toxins, while conserving natural resources and providing a new energy source.
By generating power for use in homes and businesses, waste-to-energy facilities offset the burning of fossil fuels, and reduce emissions norms expected of coal. As a natural fossil fuel, coal contains heavy metals and other contaminants, varying with the geography. Latex-backed carpet is a predictable, cleaner-burning energy source, with lower oxide levels of sulfur and nitrogen. The waste is reduced to an inert ash that is approximately 10% of its original volume and converted into energy.
All consumers should be concerned about the types of materials used in waste-to-energy recycling, but they should also be aware that many waste products such as latex-backed carpet can help us conserve our limited fossil fuel resources and save valuable landfill space without additional impact on our air.
Downcycling
Downcycling provides another lifecycle for used carpet material before it reaches the landfill. This method of recycling slows the cycle of waste rather than eliminating it. Programs exist for nylon 6,6 carpet to be downcycled into non-carpet products such as car parts, but it is a limited market and the vast majority of nylon continues to go to the landfill. Shaw uses third-party processors to downcycle PVC-backed products.
