March 10, 2006—C&A Floorcoverings, a Tandus company, recently announced that it has reached the milestone of recycling more than 100,000,000 pounds of reclaimed vinyl and vinyl-backed carpet since it introduced the Infinity Initiative 10 years ago. C&A says that this achievement underscores the company’s commitment to developing holistic environmental solutions that make its numerous other environmental achievements possible.
Housed at Tandus’ Center for Environmental Innovation, C&A’s recycling program recycles any post-consumer vinylbacked carpet, regardless of original manufacturer, into 100% recycled content backing for new ER3 floorcoverings.
Containing a minimum of 25% post-consumer carpet, the remaining 75% of the ER3 backing system consists of postindustrial waste generated during carpet manufacturing and industrial waste from the automotive industry.
Because old vinyl-backed carpet and vinyl waste is the only feedstock for its ER3 backings, C&A instituted FLOORE, a “buy-back” program offering customers financial incentives to return and recycle their old vinyl-backed carpet.
The company’s sustainable warranty guarantees to customers that all carpet returned will be recycled in its entirety and that no portion will be landfilled, incinerated (including waste-to-energy) or disposed of in any other way.
C&A’s award-winning ethosbacking is also made at the Center, using the same process and equipment as the ER3 backing.
Commercial customers who want to recycle the carpet they are removing can contact Tandus for more information. According to Tandus, recycling old carpet can contribute to achieving LEED Construction Waste credits.
