Current Status of Product Stewardship for Carpet

This 10-page draft paper, prepared in 2000 by the Midwestern Work Group on Carpet Recycling, examines the environmental issues posed by carpet and describes industry initiatives for reducing the estimated 1.75 million tons of carpet that are disposed of each year in the U.S. The report covers: reusing and refurbishing carpet, recycling carpet into new face fiber, recycling fiber into other plastic products, recycling carpet backing into new carpet backing, and producing a recycled-content backing for old carpet. Read about the programs initiated by major fiber manufacturers — including DuPont, Solutia, and Honeywell — to collect and recycle carpet. Also learn about initiatives from leading U.S. carpet manufacturers and industry associations.