Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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Like most products, volumes have continued to increase by leaps and bounds as carpeting became more popular, technologies advanced, efficiencies discovered and choices becoming endless.
Carpet: The Numbers
National 2012 estimates show: • 3.54 billion pounds (1.77 million tons) of carpet discards* • 8% recycled • 2% diverted to WTE and cement kiln fuel • 90% landfilled Source: CARE 2012 Annual report *Discard data derived from independent Torcivia report on total U.S. sales estimates.
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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Based on an average US home size of 2000 square feet with carpet weighing about 4.5 lbs per square yard, that is over 3 ½ million homes worth of carpet! And 280 thousand homes-worth that got recycled.
What about in Illinois?
Based on CARE’s national estimate of 14 pounds of carpet per person per year, and an Illinois population of 12.8 million, we might estimate that the amount of carpet discarded annually in Illinois is around 180 million pounds. However, based on the 2009 Illinois Commodity/Waste Generation and Characterization Study*, it could actually be as high as 560 million pounds. According to that same study, carpet and padding are 2% of what is landfilled in Illinois.
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
IL CRWG Member Make-up
Currently have 25 active members from: • Local Government • Solid Waste Agencies • Carpet Collectors (inc. construction and demolition transfer stations) • Carpet Processors and Recyclers • Carpet Manufacturers • IRA (Illinois Recycling Association) • IEC (Illinois Environmental Council) • IEPA (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency)
Additional 8 members in the loop from: • PSI (Product Stewardship Institute) • IMA (Illinois Manufacturers’ Association) • IRMA (Illinois Retail Merchants Association) • CARE (Carpet America Recovery Effort) • USGBC (United States Green Building Council) • ILCSWMA (Illinois Counties Solid Waste Management Association)
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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Illinois carpet Recycling Working Group members Currently have 25 active members from: Local Government, Solid Waste Agencies, Carpet Manufacturers, Collectors (inc. construction and demolition transfer stations), Recyclers, and Processors. Including active members from IRA (Illinois Recycling Association), IEC (Illinois Environmental Council), IEPA (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency) Additional 8 members in the loop from: PSI (Product Stewardship Institute), IMA (Illinois Manufacturers’ Association), IRMA (Illinois Retail Merchants Association), CARE (Carpet America Recovery Effort), USGBC (United States Green Building Council), and ILCSWMA (Illinois Counties Solid Waste Management Association) NEED: Retailers, Installers, Manufacturers
Foundation of Understanding
• Carpet recycling presents unique challenges.
• There are various methods of collecting carpet.
• Residential waste collection programs, offering bulk-item pick up for free or low cost, deliver all material to landfill.
• PET is currently difficult to recycle, and presents a cost burden for processors, which threatens the longevity of the current voluntary market-driven approach.
• Process of identification, transportation and processing carpet has high costs.
• Manufacturer responsibility for Design for Environment principals and the end-of-life process of the product.
• Legislation may be necessary to make this happen.
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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We spent the first several months discussing the issues at hand, forming goals and a workplan, and creating our foundational documents and resources for the website. Why is old carpet so hard to recycle? A carpet is really a system, which is an assembly of parts. Each part has a role to play in the manufacture and performance of the carpet. A carpet is basically two components: the face fiber and backing system. Since most carpet in the US today is a tufted style with a latex backing we will use this as our example. Face Fibers: this is the part of the carpet you see and walk on every day. There are four common face fiber types: Nylon 6,6 Nylon 6 PPE Polypropylene (also know as olefin) PET = Polyethylene terephthalate PET flake is 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of nylon. PET carpet costs less to make and sells for less. PET carpet life-span is about 5 years. Swell of PET in the collection stream causes additional transport and disposal costs. PET is a weak a polymer which is currently not widely remanufactured, but there are developments in this area, including signs made by one of our members, EcoStrate. Please seek out Ron Sherga and ask more about this. The face fiber is the most valuable part of the carpet for recycling. To recycle we must be able to identify and separate based on face fiber type. Each face fiber has completely different properties, which is why they must be separated. Face fiber typically makes up approximately ½ of the weight of the carpet but this can vary with construction. Backing Systems: There are several types of backing systems used in the US today. The two most common are latex and polyvinylchloride (PVC). PVC backed carpets are easier to recycle today but are also more expensive and are used primarily in commercial settings. Latex backed carpets are what most people see in their homes. There are also additional layers in the backing system, which are typically polypropylene. Calcium carbonate is also employed as inert filler. So, you can see, a carpet is a complex system with many components of different chemical composition. In order to recycle carpet it may be necessary to separate these components. Each step in the identification, separation, shredding and handling sequence adds another cost in the process of recycling old carpets. Carpet must first be collected and sorted by material type such as nylon, polypropylene or PET. The material is then sent to a processor that shears off the face fiber. The material is melted into pellets or sold as fluff and sent to manufacturers that can make new plastic products. Often, chemicals are added to the process for durability, rigidity, sun exposure or coloring. Carpet padding can be ground up and made into new padding or furniture cushions. Carpet fibers can be made into a variety of products such as new carpet, office furniture, decking, automobile parts, erosion control systems and other consumer goods.
CRWG Sub Groups
Education & Outreach Website, Database, Education Material Development, Outreach, and Summit Planning Point Person: Karen Rozmus
Increasing Collections Public Drop-Offs and Single-Day Collection Events Point Persons: Nick Fiore & Eugene Knaus
Legislation & Policy State Carpet Bills, Illinois Carpet Bill, and Environmental Purchasing Policies Point Person: Walter Willis
Market Development & Best Practices Market Development, Funding, and Best Practices Research Point Person: Eric Nelson
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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After discussing the issues, our 4 Sub Groups were officially formed in August 2013 Education & Outreach Website, Database, Education Material Development, Outreach, and Summit Planning Point Person: Karen Rozmus Increasing Collections Public Drop-Offs and Single-Day Collection Events Point Persons: Nick Fiore & Eugene Knaus Cameron Ruen will tell you more about the resources we have created to help inform people about carpet recycling activity and options in Illinois and in their areas specifically, including the website and other helpful marketing tools. As well as steps we plan to take to increase recycling options for the public. Legislation & Policy State Carpet Bills, Illinois Carpet Bill, and Environmental Purchasing Policies Point Person: Walter Willis Walter will tell you more about Product Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislative activities, including action on Carpet in Illinois. Market Development & Best Practices Market Development, Funding, and Best Practices Research Point Person: Eric Nelson
Marketing Efforts Overview
• Carpet Recycling Briefing Paper • Carpet Recycling Action Report • Website – swanaillinois.org/carpet • Extended Directory Updates • Customized Flyer – Residential outreach • Press Releases and press release templates • Newsletter articles • Conference sessions • End Markets and Best Practices Report • Carpet Recycling Toolkit
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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Because carpet has transitioned from predominantly nylon materials that are more easily recyclable, into a more diverse set of fibers that complicate the process and end markets, we are seeing a burden being placed on the collectors and processors of these materials. Through the formation of the CRWG, this list of marketing efforts have been developed in reaction to end-of-life challenges. For this presentation, I will be speaking about the Carpet Recycling Toolkit.
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
Marketing Budget
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You can guess what our group’s budget is! I think it’s important to note that the efforts in this presentation have been developed through volunteer efforts of the CRWG.
Carpet Recycling Toolkit
• Breakdown of Collection Models • Best Practices Considerations • Compilation of Carpet Recycling Resources • Appendices of Working Documents • Carpet is not a one size fits all program
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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The efforts the Education and Outreach subgroup is tackling are in line with what we in the resource management world deal with on a day to day basis: making plans, creating consensus, creating awareness pieces, promoting in media channels, working with private industry to partner for programs and encouraging others in the state to follow the lead. The Carpet Recycling Toolkit covers multiple collection models, offers best practices per collection model, and provides resources and working documents to make your job easier. The creation of this document took several months and the group is very proud of this accomplishment and hope it will prove useful for YOU. The intention of this toolkit is to remove barriers to entry by covering aspects of the collection process for those developing carpet recycling programs.
Toolkit Collection Models
•One-Day Collection Events (Kane, Will, DuPage)
•Permanent Drop-Off Site (12 current)
•Curbside Collection (Oak Park)
•Retail Take-Back (back-of-house/ not public)
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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Retailers, C&D recycling facilities and Local governments can set up permanent drop-offs Collection events are proving to be a successful model Oak Park instituted a curbside recycling program, voluntary user-pay model Retail Take-Back is a more recent effort. Will County is working with retailers to discuss a possible program for customers. We intend to work to build up the public drop-off sector of the infrastructure
Toolkit Resources
• Acceptable and Unacceptable Materials • Education and Outreach • Program Impact and Data Tracking
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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The resources section outlines the resources that the Education and Outreach subgroup has developed.
Toolkit Appendices
• Sample Service Agreement • Event Worksheet for Collection Events • Staff Guidelines • Severe Weather Plan
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
The appendices consist of word documents to assist you in organizing a carpet recycling event. You may find a use for some of these documents in your other programs too. Check them out!
Moving Forward in Illinois
WE NEED YOU! • Spreading the word • Considering drop-off locations • Adding on to existing events • Talking to retailers in community • Submitting press releases • Joining the CRWG family • Promoting product stewardship
Carpet Recycling Toolkit | Carpet Recycling Working Group | swanaillinois.org/carpet
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We need you! Please consider acting on some of these bullet points to further the cause. We can’t do the job without you.
Contact Information
Marketing Efforts | Carpet Recycling Working Group
SWANCC's Media Outlets: Informational Elists: Residents and Educators Facebook: Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County Twitter: SWANCCTweets YouTube: SWANCC Group
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Thank you very much! Please connect to myself and SWANCC online. *clap* *clap* *clap*
