Calhoun, Ga.—In honor of Earth Day, Mohawk Industries expanded its ReCover carpet recycling program into the residential market. ReCover now provides sustainable carpet solutions to specialty retailers and customers.
“There is a growing need for sustainable flooring solutions because today’s homeowners are sensitive to their impact on the environment,” said Denise Silbert, vice president of marketing, residential soft surface. “We recognize and understand that sensitivity. As America’s largest carpet manufacturer, we are committed to offering flooring solutions that protect and preserve our planet. ReCover helps us accomplish that goal.”
Addressing a growing interest in sustainability, the ReCover program is a paid service that facilitates the recycling of used carpet from any manufacturer to repurpose it back into new carpet, padding and other useful products, according to Mohawk. By doing so, ReCover is designed to reduce flooring waste and to provide a convenient alternative for carpet recycling. Since the inception of ReCover, 159 million pounds of carpet were diverted from landfills, Mohawk said.
“This is a remarkable upcycling opportunity for soft surfaces,” explained Robert Marshall, director of special services and technical compliance. “By diverting carpet from landfills, we are doing our part to turn what was wasteful into what is useful. The program is easy to join and easy to use so that we can make a genuine impact with solutions that truly speak to today’s buyers.”
In addition to ReCover, the company also said it operates a third party-certified reclamation facility. According to Mohawk, its Summerville, Ga. facility recycles approximately seven billion plastic bottles per year—equivalent to 20% of all bottles in the domestic post-consumer market—to convert into carpet.
“We are committed to making a positive impact on the world,” Silbert said. “We strive to create sustainable manufacturing processes, products and programs that will help make the world a cleaner, healthier place.”