How to Recycle Carpet

Recycle Carpet / The Stats

Carpet, as current statistics reveal, accounts for over 70% of all flooring sales in the developed world. Among the various kinds of carpeting the "tufted" carpet or wall-to-wall carpet product that most homebuilders use represents over 90% of all the carpet sold.

Tufted carpeting uses a specialized tufting machine. Although the materials used vary, the majority of tufted carpeted are made with synthetic fibers, and they are treated with chemicals which, when cooled and set, forms a light plastic-like protective covering on the carpet.

Because there are so many of these types of carpets, and because the size of each one is so huge, it is easy to understand why it would be important to address how to dispose of them in an environmentally friendly way.

Recycle Carpet / CARE

Responding to the problems associated with the disposal of used carpet, the carpet industry has come up with established recycling programs. These programs encourage the recycling of used carpet materials. One of the innumerable results of this effort has been the creation of an industry that is built around the collection and recycling of used carpet materials.

Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is a non-profit organization that has made admirable strides in educating businesses and individuals about how to recycle carpet.

If you are a homeowner that is interested in information on carpet recycling, CARE suggests looking up the manufacturer of your carpet. There most likely there will be a department within the company that can offer you assistance. If you don't know whom the manufacturer is a good place to find out is with the company that built your home.

If you are a business and need carpet recycling information the CARE website offers a list of Reclamation Partners that may be able to direct you to the proper place.

Here is a link to those of reclamation centers: Carpet Recovery

Recycle Carpet / The Issue of Cost

If all of the carpet sold can be calculated and converted to the number of pounds sold, one arrives at a staggering nine billion pounds. This is a huge number, which can give you a good idea of the amount of space these products could take up in a landfill...not a pretty picture. Are you starting to get how important recycling is?

But it is important to be aware that the recycling process is not free; in fact it can be quite costly. According to the representatives at CARE, "At this time it will likely cost between 5 cents to 25 cents per pound of old carpet to recycle (carpet typically weighs about 4-5 pounds per square yard). The cost will depend on the kind of carpet you have, how it was installed and your geographic location."

While some types of carpet fiber and backing materials remain more recyclable than others, there is now a distinct network of locations that provide recycling service. Since carpet sellers and installers tend to pass cost increases for disposal, the consumer on their part feels a bigger pinch. On the other end of the carpet cycle, the producers remain busy working for incorporating more recycled carpet fiber into their products.

The business of carpet manufacturing has a tremendous impact on the environment. There is no telling how much used carpet is disposed of in ways that are less than legal or less than friendly to the environment. The costs associated with properly disposing of all the used carpet products can be felt by consumers, carpet sellers and installers. The cost of taking the discarding carpet to local landfills continues rising every year. The result has shown a steady decease in the amount of used carpet materials that end up in the local landfill.

Recycle Carpet / The Future

It offers a hopeful sign that consumers have become more conscious of the impact their buying choices have on the environment and many of us are adjusting their spending habits as a result. Yes, there are things one can do as a consumer while initiating a positive change.

If you choose to purchase a carpet for the home or for a business, just make sure you ask the seller and the installer whether they participate in a carpet-recycling program. Once they are rebuffed a number of times when their answer is "No.", then these businesses will finally realize they need to get with the green movement or go out of business.

Recycle Carpet / The Future

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/306442/how_to_recycle_carpet_.html
http://www.carpetrecovery.org/faqs.php
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/factory-made-how-to-recycle-carpet.html
http://www.nps.gov/sustain/spop/carpet.htm

Find a place to recycle your carpet near you...

Denver http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Colorado.Reclamation.Systems.303-371-8152
Australia http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Carpet-Disposal-Sydney-Carpet-Removal

For more information on caret recycling near you just input the phrase, carpet recycling 'your area' in your search engine search bar. Or go to earth911.com.

For more information on the importance of recycling follow these links:

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Copper Recycling Prices

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Recycling Paper

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