Surfaces Transport, a floor covering and supplies transportation company with over 60 years of experience, is expanding its CLEAR carpet recycling operation in Milwaukee.

Carpet Landfill Elimination And Recycling (CLEAR) was launched to select customers early this year. CLEAR Carpet Recycling, a subsidiary of Surfaces Transport, processes the collected carpet and pad in Surface Transport’s freight terminal.

CLEAR is now capable of handling virtually unlimited volumes of carpet and pad in its recycling plant, according to the company. When shipments are received, the CLEAR team begins the process by sorting the carpet based on fiber type. Most common are Nylon 6, Nylon 6.6, Polypropylene and PET. Carpet pad is also pulled out and handled separately.

“Our partners have told us their customers are really embracing the concept of recycling their old carpet,” explained Nick Fiore, president of CLEAR. “We support our retail partners with store signage and marketing materials, allowing them to share the benefits of carpet recycling with people shopping in their stores.”

According to industry group CARE (Carpet America Recovery Effort), more than 4 billion pounds of carpet was sent to landfills in 2009. Less than 10% of all old carpet is recycled nationwide, with the majority of that being done in the southeast where most of the carpet mills are located. The CLEAR recycling plant is able to process almost 100,000 pounds per day.

The CLEAR Carpet Recycling network stretches across several industries and market segments, such as government entities, carpet installers, construction and demolition companies, waste haulers, remodelers, retail flooring stores and more.

“The common thread in this is used carpet is handled by several diverse industries,” stated Fiore. “All of them realize it is in everyone’s best interest to keep carpet out of landfills. Our goal is to change consumer habits to the point that recycling carpet is the first choice when it is removed.”

For more information, visit www.landfillclear.com.