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A NEWSLETTER TO EXPAND MARKETS FOR RECYCLED MATERIALS

Local governments in Washington state strive to step up carpet recovery

Bales of carpet ready to be shipped from Recovery 1 to recyclers in the Southeastern U.S. Photo provided by Recovery 1.

On March 19, companies representing carpet and flooring manufacturing, carpet fiber production, flooring installation, recycling and sorting, waste management and economic development met with local solid waste agencies in Seattle to discuss the future of carpet recycling in the Pacific Northwest.

Organized by Seattle Public Utilities, with support by King County’s LinkUp Program, and hosted by enterpriseSeattle, a Puget Sound region economic development organization, the forum provided an opportunity to share information about current carpet collection, sorting and recycling, plans to increase carpet recycling, challenges, end-markets, and the potential for establishing processing capacity in the region.

Efforts under way locally are already decreasing carpet waste. Tacoma-based construction and demolition debris processing company, Recovery 1, a LinkUp alumni partner, segregates, bales and ships four carpet types to recycling facilities located elsewhere in the country.

Government purchasing programs are aware of opportunities to divert carpet from landfill. The State of Washington currently has a flooring contract, used by many local governments, that mandates carpet reclamation. The contract expires in June, and a new contract with the same reclamation provision is currently being pursued.

One of the biggest obstacles in carpet recycling in the western United States is that carpet manufacturers and carpet recycling facilities are located in Georgia.1 Because of that distance, shipping adds to the cost of recycling carpet, making it more difficult to compete with non-recycled feedstocks.

Shirli Axelrod of the City of Seattle’s Resource Conservation Department organized the carpet forum and is spearheading efforts to move carpet away from the waste stream to become a useful raw material for manufacturing. According to Axelrod, the next steps for the region’s carpet recovery efforts involve supporting local infrastructure development; engaging parties from the building industry to local manufacturers who can influence the quality, quantity, and end uses of carpet being removed; reviewing policies and solid waste rates; considering opportunities to create incentives and removing obstacles that hinder carpet recycling success.

"There is a lot of interest in possibly starting a processing plant here to enhance recovery," Axelrod said.

A national effort to increase carpet recycling has been in place since 2002, when the carpet industry joined with federal, state and local governments and other organizations to establish the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), which is funded and administered by the carpet industry. A Memorandum of Understanding committed the group, which included the State of Washington, to a common goal of significantly decreasing the amount of post-consumer carpet in the nation’s waste stream. The goal is to divert 40 percent of post-consumer carpet waste from landfills by 2012.2

CARE reports that nationwide carpet diversion in 2006 was 131,000 tons, which represents 5 percent of total discards, and is only half the diversion rate CARE had hoped to reach by 2005.3 In 2007, in King County alone (excluding Seattle), more than 34,000 tons of carpet waste was disposed.4

Carpet is primarily made of petroleum-based materials, such as nylon and polyester, which can be recycled and used in a wide variety of end markets. High oil prices have contributed to the increased interest in recovering plastic from carpet waste as a valuable resource. Also, the growth of green building and trends in waste reduction have helped establish carpet as a product on the verge of becoming better utilized.1

King County focus

Renovated King County transfer station goes green

King County’s newest recycling and transfer station embodies the push toward green building. The Shoreline Recycling and Transfer Station opened in February and is considered the most environmentally-friendly transfer station in the U.S. The facility is the first transfer station to be registered with the U.S. Green Building Council, and King County is seeking a LEED® Gold green building certification.

"This facility is simply a magnificent embodiment of what King County wants to achieve in green building in all its construction and renovation projects," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "What's more, we were able to work with the community to create a facility that is safer, more functional and efficient, more pleasant to visit, and is helping to restore Thornton Creek."

The facility, formerly known as the First Northeast Transfer Station, underwent a $24 million renovation.

The facility boasts many green features, including a rainwater harvesting system designed to reduce water needs by 57 percent, solar panels to help power the station, and an energy-efficient natural ventilation system.

The use of natural daylight as its main lighting source reduces energy costs by 50 percent and the use of low volatile organic compound paints and adhesives create healthy indoor air. Even the landscaping surrounding the station is environmentally conscious: Bioswales help reduce bank erosion along Thornton Creek by slowing water flow, while plants work to filter contaminants and sediment from surface water runoff.

"Our recycling and transfer stations are used everyday by hundreds of residents and businesses in King County," said Lisa Williams, project manager for the Shoreline Recycling and Transfer Station. "As King County works to reduce the amount of materials sent to the landfill, we are also working to further reduce our impact on the environment by incorporating green-building techniques into our facilities."

Executive Sims is working to incorporate green building design and practices into all construction projects in the county. He submitted to the County Council a proposed Green Building and Sustainable Development Ordinance that requires all projects regardless of size use green building practices. In addition, guidelines on green operations and maintenance for existing buildings will be developed.

King County provides green-building assistance for residents, businesses and other agencies throughout the county. Through its GreenTools program, the county offers training, financial incentives and grants, research, project review, and strategies and policies to support green building on a large scale. With free consultations and fee discounts, King County's Department of Development and Environmental Services provides incentives for builders and developers to use sustainable development techniques.

Fast facts

Breakdown of carpet material recycled by fiber type.5

Based on a CARE survey, this chart shows percentages of the types of fiber that carpet recyclers are handling in their facilities.

Source: Reprinted with permission from the Carpet America Recovery Effort

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Foot notes:
1. Interview April 8, 2008 with Shirli Axelrod, City of Seattle Resource Conservation Department.
2. Carpet America Recovery Effort website http://www.carpetrecovery.org/about.php
3. CARE 2006 Annual Report, table 4, page 12. http://www.carpetrecovery.org/pdf/annual_report/06_CARE-annual-rpt.pdf
4. King County Waste Monitoring Program, preliminary data collected for 2007 waste characterization study, and Construction and Demolition Waste Charactization and Recycling Industry profile (http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/about/documents/CD-Characterization.PDF)
5. CARE 2006 Annual Report, page 16. http://www.carpetrecovery.org/pdf/annual_report/06_CARE-annual-rpt.pdf

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