Carpet America Recovery Effort launched its 23rd Annual Conference in Oceanside, California, on Tuesday, May 20, focusing on "Carpet Recycling: Riding the Sustainability Wave" while recognizing industry leadership and exploring circular economy solutions.

The event kicked off with an inspiring keynote from John Warner, head of Technology Greenhouse and known as the "father of green chemistry." Warner challenged attendees to create and embrace technologies that work in harmony with nature to accelerate progress toward a truly circular economy.

The day's programming featured several key presentations addressing current challenges and emerging solutions:

• Perc Pineda, Chief Economist for the Plastics Industry Association, outlined evolving economic conditions requiring greater industry resilience
• Martin Holicky of Matoha, alongside conference veteran Frank Endrenyi, provided updates on advancing fiber identification technology
• A solutions-focused panel on commercial carpet tile circularity brought together John Mello of premier sponsor BTR Flooring & Recycling, Preston Poag of Mohawk, and Bailey Robin, co-founder of Matium
• Dr. Matthew Realff of Georgia Tech presented findings from CARE's latest annual survey

The afternoon concluded with roundtable discussions on various industry hot topics, with all conference presentations to be made available on the CARE website in coming weeks.

At the evening reception, CARE Executive Director Bob Peoples announced Kasey Wakefield as the 2024 Person of the Year. Wakefield serves as president and co-owner of Kruse Carpet Recycling in Indianapolis, Indiana, a successful operation founded by her father Richard D. Kruse in 1997.

The recognition marks a notable first for the organization: a generational honor, as Dick Kruse previously received CARE's Person of the Year award in 2016. A DePauw University graduate, Kasey Wakefield has served as an important voice for the recycling community since joining the CARE Board in January 2017.

"This is the first time a generational recognition is taking place," Peoples noted. "Dick has shared that he is extremely proud of his daughter. And CARE is fortunate to have this talented family continue their Board engagement."

The conference continues as industry stakeholders work to address carpet waste challenges and advance sustainable solutions in the post-consumer carpet recycling sector.