Recycled-Content Face Fiber

While many factors contribute to the overall life-cycle costs of a carpet, one way companies can reduce impacts of the manufacturing process is to use recycled content in the face fiber of the carpet. Presently, most recycled nylon comes from post-industrial fiber (waste from extrusion and yarn mills, clean lint and edge trim from finishing lines) but the technology is rapidly improving to convert used nylon fiber into new carpet. As more used carpet becomes available and manufacturing plants adapt their facilities to meet the new technology, the percent of post-consumer content should increase. Keep in mind that the amount of post-industrial content should not be a selection criterion, because as companies become more efficient at reducing waste in the manufacturing process, the percentage of post-industrial recycled content in commercial yarn should drop. It may not be possible to specify the type of face fiber or the amount of recycled content, but you can choose carpet manufacturers who choose one of the following fibers.

P.E.T. Carpet made with recycled P.E.T. (e.g., soda bottles) face fibers often has the highest percentage recycled content. P.E.T. fibers are naturally stain resistant and do not require the chemical treatments used on some nylon carpet. Fibers retain their color and resist fading due to sun or harsh cleaning. Shades can be richer and brighter than those found in nylon yarns. P.E.T. carpet manufacturers claim P.E.T. is superior to lower grades of virgin synthetic fibers and that is has exceptional strength and durability. At the time of this report, no programs to recycle used P.E.T. carpet back into new carpet exist, but fibers can be down-cycled into other products such as car parts, insulation, transportation devices, and furniture stuffing.