Reclamation and Recycling
ON A ROLL - THE INVISTATM CARPET RECLAMATION PROGRAM
In 1991, INVISTA initiated a program to find new ways to put used carpet back to work. We led a group of concerned carpet manufacturers, flooring contractors, specifiers and end users in founding the INVISTA™ Carpet Reclamation Program.
As the first nationwide carpet reclamation program that recycles all types of carpet, since 2001 the INVISTA™ Carpet Reclamation Program has collected over 65 million pounds of carpet, resulting in more than 120,000 cubic yards of conserved landfill space.
Knowing how important it is for our customers to understand the truth behind our published information, we sought a recognized third party organization to verify our reclamation statements. In 2002, the INVISTA™ Carpet Reclamation Center in Calhoun, Georgia became the first carpet reclamation facility to be certified as a carpet reclamation and processing facility under Scientific Certification Systems' Environmental Claims Certification Program. And, after a second rigorous evaluation, the INVISTA™ Carpet Reclamation Center was recertified in 2004.
In addition to the INVISTA™ Carpet Reclamation Center, a number of the recycled products that are produced using recycled material from the center were also certified. Some of the products that are certified to contain post-consumer recycled content are EcoSoft� carpet cushion and the feedstock materials that go into other products like carpet engineering resins, automotive parts, and natural turf based roofing tiles. Additional products that are made from recycled carpet include furniture, pallets, filtration pipes, stepping stones, ceramic tile backer boards and carpet-based boards.
Use our Carpet Reclamation Calculator to view the benefits of reclaiming your old carpet. You can also download a copy of the CSI-formatted carpet reclamation specification. To learn more about the INVISTA™ Carpet Reclamation Program, contact your local Fiber Consultant.
Recycled Content Nylon
The strongest environmental statement any one of us can make is to select products that are durable and can be used longer. This may include, but is not limited to, carpet with recycled content. It is important to remember that “sustainability”, by definition, is any practice that would ensure the continued viability of a product well into the future. A carpet of Antron®, the most specified brand of commercial carpet fiber, is engineered to look and perform better for a longer period of use than any other carpet. This performance yields the best life cycle costs and the lowest total environmental impact.
Carpets containing recycled content nylon fibers are promoted today as the answer for architects and designers seeking environmentally friendly choices. Because the “recycled content” designation is relatively easy for manufacturers to obtain and use, a specifier should closely evaluate the true impact of these products since they may not lead to the best environmental choice.
INVISTA chooses to include our reclaimed post-industrial nylon waste in the daily production of more than 50 Antron Lumena® solution dyed nylon products. We also offer Antron® Legacy nylon and Antron with StainRESIST™ fiber technology with high recycled content nylon. Commercial carpets containing these fibers meet the highest fiber performance standards for carpet durability in the industry.
