The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) named its Recycler of the Year and Person of the Year at the organization’s eighth Annual Conference held April 26-28 in Santa Fe.

Shaw Industries was recognized by CARE for its continued investment in both people and processes designed to increase the diversion of post-consumer carpet from landfills.

Shaw was previously honored by CARE for its outstanding carpet recycling efforts in 2007, when it received the Recycler of the Year award following its purchase and launch of the Evergreen Nylon Recycling facility.

Shaw’s Evergreen Nylon Recycling program converts Nylon 6 fiber from post-consumer carpet back into the raw material to make new carpet fiber.

Since Shaw opened up the Evergreen plant in 2007, the company has recycled more than 220 million pounds of post-consumer Nylon 6 carpet and more than 36 million pounds of post-consumer carpet filler. In addition to its current reclamation operations, Shaw continues to research opportunities for ways to utilize waste carpet.

For example, in 2009, Shaw began construction of Re2E (Reclaim to Energy), a first-of-its kind, carpet-fueled co- generation facility in Dalton, Ga. The facility will consume 76 million pounds of post-consumer and post-industrial carpet annually and will generate electricity and steam power for one of the company’s carpet mills.”

CARE’s Executive Director, Georgina Sikorski, was named CARE Person of the Year. Since joining CARE in 2009, Sikorski has guided the group through difficult economic conditions, managing during that time to significantly increase both revenues and membership–CARE membership currently stands at 280, up from 50 just a year earlier.

Thanks to Floor Daily for this article!