Nearly 11,000 pounds of carpet were discarded from showrooms at TheMART Chicago as the commercial design industry prepared for NeoCon 2017. Instead of taking the used carpet to landfills, carpet manufacturers and local non-profit organizations collaborated to repurpose the carpet. The nonprofit, Designs for Dignity, will use the carpet to renovate the workspaces of other Illinois nonprofits. Since 2010, more than 21,000 square yards of carpet tile from showrooms at TheMART Chicago have been donated to nonprofits.
Through the partnership with Designs for Dignity carpet tile is diverted from landfills to beneficial reuse; nonprofit organizations gain effective workspaces to nurture growth and success of their missions; and renovation cost is minimized by utilizing in-kind donations and volunteer design and construction support, allowing non-profit organizations to direct more resources to achieving their goals.