Carpet Manufacturer Shaw Industries to Invest $17m in Recycling Facility in Georgia
Dalton, Georgia based carpet and flooring manufacturer, Shaw Industries Group is to expand its reclamation and recycling program to include a new Evergreen facility in Ringgold, Georgia. According to the company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway company (NYSE: BRK.A and BRK.B), the move represents an investment of over $17 million and will create at least 70 new full-time jobs. Shaw, which claimed to be the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, said that it has recycled over 700 million pounds (318,000 metric tonnes) of carpet since 2006 via its take-back program and an expansive reclamation network. As an addition to its portfolio of recycling solutions, the company said that its Evergreen Ringgold plant will give it a flexible recycling solution that is capable of recycling nylon and polyester carpet. Once operational, Shaw explained that the recycling plant will create a high purity post-consumer recycled material that can be used in a broad range of applications. According to the carpet manufacturer, as its portfolio of recycling investments continues to expand, so does its portfolio of Cradle to Cradle certified products. The company said that 64% of the products it sells are now Cradle to Cradle certified, and that it has committed to 100% of its products being designed according to Cradle to Cradle protocols by 2030. Shaw added that it has worked closely on the project with the Catoosa County Development Authority, the City of Ringgold and the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). Carl Campbell, GDEcD senior project manager for the Existing Industry and Regional Recruitment (EIRR) team, oversaw the project for the state. In addition, Georgia Quick Start, a workforce training program, will work with Shaw to ensure its employees receive the proper training to support the company’s recycling investments. The facility is planned to be operational in 2015 and will be located in what was previously Shaw Plant 37 - a rug distribution centre. Read More Product Stewardship Law on Carpets Comes into Force in California Consumer support will be critical to the success of a new Carpet Product Stewardship Law in California that is intended to increase the recycling of carpet into new products, preserve landfill space, reduce dependency on fossil fuels and create green jobs. Carpet Recycling on the Rise in the UK The carpet recycling rate in the UK has risen from 10% in 2010 to 16% last year, according to a new report. Recycled Fibre Manufacturer Deploys ECS to Clean PET Flakes Nestled among 57 acres in Floyd County, Georgia resides the processing facility for Marglen Industries, a manufacturer of fibres used in carpet, fibre fill, needle punch non-wovens and other textile products. The company uses 100% post-consumer PET flake taken mostly from recycled beverage bottles.