By Michael Arny

Last week, I attended the Carpet America Recovery Effortsm (CARE) Conference in Georgia, where Leonardo Academy’s Cleaner and Greener Program certified the emissions offsetting for the event. In this article, I’d like to tell you about three things:

CARE and what it is doing to advance carpet recycling
How you can help promote carpet recycling by setting an example in your buildings
Cleaner and Greener’s activities at the CARE conference, so that you can consider it for your organization’s events

CARE is a nonprofit organization established to promote the recycling of carpet. It is an association of government agencies, carpet manufacturers, and entrepreneurs working to develop business opportunities in the carpet-recycling arena. CARE seeks to foster the development of technology for recycling carpet, new products made from recycled carpet, and markets for these products.

The Carpet and Rug Institute estimates that approximately 2.5 million tons of carpet were disposed of in 2005. Of this, a total of 226.4 million pounds of carpet was diverted from landfills in 2005, representing an increase of over 100% from 2004 (CARE 2005 Annual Report).

CARE faces a significant challenge in recycling carpet because even a single type of carpet usually contains multiple fiber types and other materials in the face fiber, backing material and all that is in between. But they are making good progress, from developing electronic instruments for identifying fiber types in carpets to a variety of grinders for shredding carpet for recycling.

In fact, I learned quite a lot about single shaft shredders.

So, what can you do?

• When disposing of used carpet, consult those that were involved in its original manufacturer and installation or in removal and replacement what they can do to help you get the carpet recycled. A number of manufacturers already take back particular kinds of carpet.
• Go the CARE website (www.carpetrecovery.org) for a list of recycling programs and to find recycling contacts at your state’s environmental protection agency.
• When purchasing carpet for your buildings, ask that bids or proposals include information about the recyclability of the carpet and a plan for end of life recovery.

About the certification of the emissions offsets for the CARE Conference
In the spirit of CARE’s overall environmental commitment, CARE Conference organizers worked with Leonardo Academy’s Cleaner and Greener Programsm to offset emissions created by event energy use and make it a Certified Cleaner and Greener Event. Milliken Carpet, Leonardo Academy, and 3 Phases Energy all made donations of emission reductions to counterbalance the pollution caused by event space energy use, as well as travel, lodging, and meals for attendees. Leonardo Academy and the Cleaner and Greener also have programs to offset emissions created by organizations and to report emission reductions due to energy efficiency projects. For more information about Cleaner and Greener activities at CARE or the certification program in general, please visit www.cleanerandgreener.org.

About the Author:
Michael Arny is frequently called the "Father of LEED-EB." He founded the Leonardo Academy in 1997 and has guided the continued growth and accelerating impact of this organization. He has worked on energy and environmental issues his entire career. After earning a BS and MS in mechanical engineering and a BA in Psychology and Russian language at the University of Wisconsin, Michael was on the Wisconsin Public Service Commission staff for 14 years. He was the chair of the State of Wisconsin committee that developed the State of Wisconsin Greenhouse Gas emissions inventory; emission reduction cost analysis and the economic benefits analysis for emissions reductions. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Wisconsin and a LEED® Accredited Professional, was the Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) Committee from 2001-2005 and continues to serve on this committee.