September 5, 2016; Volume 31, Number 6
Dalton—The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) and the Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) announced an extension of the voluntary product stewardship (VPS) program to assist sorters of post-consumer carpet diverted from the nation’s landfills. After having supported the program for two years, 2015 and 2016, this extension will provide funding for one additional year through 2017.
The VPS program is market-based and designed to accept and manage all applicable post-consumer carpet, regardless of polymer type or primary materials or construction. The program will provide financial assistance to qualified U.S. sorters who divert post-consumer carpet.
Dan Frierson, chairman of CRI, said the association was pleased to continue to offer financial support for the VPS program. “Our members are participating voluntarily as part of our government relations activities and have committed $4 million for the program’s third year. The VPS program will serve as a bridge for sorters as new technologies and applications are developed to increase market-driven demand for all post-consumer carpet.”
CARE will act as the stewardship organization for the VPS program. Since 2002, CARE members have diverted more than 4.2 billion pounds of carpet from U.S. landfills.
“The VPS program has been a key step in our mission to divert more carpet from U.S. landfills,” said Brendan McSheehy, CARE’s chairman. “Sorters may use funds from the program to partner with their customers to divert carpet and recycle carpet back into useful consumer products, such as recycled carpet fiber, carpet cushion, broadloom, carpet tiles and a wide range of plastic products.”
The VPS program launched in January 2015 and will complete the initial two-year term at the end of 2016. This extension of the program will end Dec. 31, 2017. Sorters who qualify for financial assistance can expect to continue receiving funds without interruption, and the Q4 2017 fund payments will be completed in the first quarter of 2018.
Sorters may qualify for funds by completing all required documents and submitting quarterly reports on their business results to CARE.
Visit carpetrecovery.org and click on the VPS tab for more information.