Laguna Niguel, Calif—Fuse Alliance, a member-owned organization of professional, commercial flooring contractors, announced today that its members diverted more than 6.6 million pounds of carpet waste from landfills in 2014 through the organization’s Ecollect carpet reclamation program. With a focus on commercial reclamation, Fuse Alliance members increased recycling in this category by 2 million pounds, up significantly from 2013. Because commercial recycling and landfill diversion efforts can be challenging in this sector, the increase is a valid example that the Ecollect program has a positive impact on the organization’s sustainability goals.
“From the beginning, our goal has been simple: eliminate waste going to the landfills,” said Geoff Gordon, executive director of Fuse Alliance. “We have been promoting sustainable business practices throughout our organization since 2005, and we continue to focus on providing the support our members require in order to help us reach our goals.”
Through the organization’s Ecollect program, Fuse Alliance encourages its members to consider methods to reduce and eliminate waste and other non-valued processes that impact the environment throughout all projects and market segments. Since most landfill diversion has come from the residential sector, the organization has had a strong focus on reducing landfill waste that comes from commercial projects. As part of the services offered, the Ecollect reclamation program helps the network’s members analyze the processes for reclaiming product based on economical and environmental impact. As a result, members provide an informed, effective recommendation for reclaiming material, whether it is recycling, down-cycling or repurposing.
“In partnership with our members, we have shown that dedication and focus on diverting commercial carpet from the landfills can be accomplished,” said Ken Daniels, vice president at Fuse Alliance. “It’s a challenging task, but with a solutions-based approach, our network can help our commercial end users make the right choices when it comes to reclamation or reuse, depending on the project.”