The Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) and Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) are in support of a voluntary product stewardship (VPS) program to assist sorters of post-consumer carpet diverted from the nation's landfills.

 

The VPS program is market-based and designed to accept and manage all applicable post-consumer carpet, regardless of polymer type or primary materials or construction. The program will provide financial assistance to qualified U.S. sorters who divert post-consumer carpet. 

 

"Our members are participating voluntarily as part of our government relations activities, and have committed $4.5 million for the program's initial year. The VPS program will be a bridge for sorters as new technologies and applications are developed to increase market driven demand for all post-consumer carpet," said Dan Frierson, CRI's chairman.

 

CARE will act as the stewardship organization for the VPS program. Since 2002, CARE members have diverted more than 3.25 billion pounds of carpet from U.S. landfills. 

 

"The VPS program is the key next step in our mission to divert more carpet from U.S. landfills," said Brendan McSheehy, CARE's chairman. "Sorters may use funds from the program to partner with their customers to divert carpet and recycle carpet back into useful consumer products, such as recycled carpet fiber, carpet cushion, broadloom, carpet tiles and a wide range of plastic products."

 

The VPS program is scheduled for launch in January. Sorters who qualify for financial assistance can expect to begin receiving funds by the end of June. 

 

Sorters may qualify for funds by completing all required documents and submitting quarterly reports on their business results to CARE. The organization will begin conducting a series of Webinars beginning this month to help sorters understand the eligibility process.

 

For more information, visit carpetrecovery.org.