Indianapolis—Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), the non-profit organization charged with advancing market-based solutions for carpet recycling and landfill diversion, has named Dick Kruse and Interface the organization’s Person of the Year and Recycler of the Year for 2016, respectively. The two honors were awarded during the organization’s 15th annual conference, held here on May 10-11.
Kruse is a member of CARE’s board of directors and founded Kruse Carpet Recycling in Indianapolis. He boasts many years of experience in the carpet recycling industry and has been instrumental in developing CARE into the organization it is today.
“Over its 15-year life, CARE has been supported and enriched by a group of very distinguished individuals,” Brendan McSheehy, CARE board chair, said while announcing the award. “Dick Kruse stands tall among them. Over his many years of service as a board director, Dick has lent vision and wisdom. At the same time, he personally labored in the trenches of recycling, supporting his daughter Kasey as she grew and matured in the business. Dick is a shining example in a dark hour to our industry.”
As a CARE partner, Interface’s founder Ray Anderson adopted a bold vision that involved recycling and sustainability in 1994. Since then, the company has been one of the industry leaders in recycling carpet.
Interface became the first manufacturer to implement a process for the clean separation of carpet fiber from backing on modular carpet tiles. The program, ReEntry, began in 2007 and has processed millions of pounds of material.
“Many industries nowadays stand accused of greenwashing,” said Brendan McSheehy, CARE’s chairman of the board. “For some, the image and perception is in fact the reality. For others, commitment is barely skin deep. Yet, there are the few that take leadership roles in promoting recycling and disposal avoidance. Beyond this, there are even fewer that hold to that leadership through thick and thin—and in the face of several years of reduced oil and virgin polymer pricing, Interface’s continued commitment has never been more challenging or more worthy of recognition as CARE Recycler of the Year.”