Facts About Carpet

Carpeting is a beautiful and comfortable addition to any home or business. We invest a great deal into our flooring to ensure aesthetically pleasing and functional spaces. However, even the most environmentally conscious person reaches the point where their old green shag carpeting from the ’70s or the stained flooring in the playroom just has to go.

According to the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), carpet is difficult to recycle because of the many substances that constitute it. For example, in a typical carpet, the two main components are the face fiber and the backing system. The face fiber is what you see and walk on, is the most valuable portion of the carpet for recycling and is typically made of:

• Nylon 6,6
• Nylon
• Polypropylene (also called “olefin”)
• Polyester

The second portion of the carpet structure is the backing system. The most common types of backing are:

• Polyvinylchloride (PVC) – Primarily used in the commercial sector
• Latex – Typically used in residences

Backing also contains:

• Additional layers – Such as polypropylene
• Fillers – Such as calcium carbonate

Because of this complex system and the numerous substances within it, recycling carpeting is difficult and often comes at a charge to cover the steps involved, such as separation, shredding and handling.

According to CARE, during 2007 a total of 296 million pounds of post-consumer carpet was diverted from  landfills, with 275.1 million pounds being recycled. This recycling effort saved an equivalent of 2.5 million barrels of oil.