LaGrange, Ga.—Building on the success of its ReEntry recycling operation, which has yielded the diversion of more than 309 million pounds of carpet from landfills over the past 20 years, Interface is creating a new network of regional recycling allies. First among them is Oakland, Calif.–based reThink Green; this initial alliance is expected to increase the amount of carpet that is annually recycled for use by Interface by 40% to 50%.
“It’s been our mission since 1994 to wean Interface production off non-renewable materials so that we only use recycled or bio-based raw materials and fully close the loop,” said Interface President and CEO John Wells. “To that end, ReEntry has been essential, enabling us to capture the nylon ‘fluff’ as a result of separating backing and face fiber that is recycled back into our products. Now we are turning our attention to increase overall recycling, and to the high quality separation and harvesting of backing from carpet tile that advancements in the technology and process are yielding.”
Since its founding in 2011, reThink Green has recycled over 10,000 tons of carpet and recently acquired state-of-the-art machinery for separating backing from carpet tile. The company covers a territory that encompasses all of California and much of the Western U.S. including Arizona, Colorado, Texas and Washington.