Welcome to Environmental Design + Construction (ED+C) magazine’s special section about The Carpet and Rug Institute and the Carpet America Recovery Effort.

The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) is the national trade association representing the carpet and rug industry, headquartered in Dalton, Ga. Membership consists of manufacturers representing more than 90 percent of all carpet produced in the United States and suppliers of raw materials and services to the industry, and there is continued coordination with other segments of the industry. The CRI also administers programs such as the Green Label Plus testing and labeling program for good indoor air quality and the CRI Seal of Approval for carpet cleaning products.

The industry does far more than just cover our floors. The CRI and members proactively address key issues in order to promote a healthy environment and provide a better future. Environmental issues, such as indoor air quality and overburdening landfill space, are of particular significance, and addressed in this special section. Carpet manufacturers, for example, are striving to minimize the quantities of natural and energy resources used in day-to-day operations.

The Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is a joint industry-government effort to increase the amount of recycling and reuse of post-consumer carpet and reduce the amount of waste carpet going to landfills. CARE was established as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding for Carpet Stewardship (MOU), a national agreement signed by members of the carpet industry, representatives of government agencies at the federal, state and local levels, and non-governmental organizations. CARE's mission is to foster market-based solutions for recovering value from discarded carpet to meet the goals of the negotiated outcomes. To accomplish this mission, for example, CARE helps to enhance the collection infrastructure for post-consumer carpet, serves as a resource for the industry and develops opportunities for progress.

In this special section of ED+C, you’ll find:

CARPET: THE FLOORCOVERING OF CHOICE......s6
Indoor air quality and comfort concerns calmed by carpet. By Werner Braun, CRI president.

DIVERSIONARY TACTICS......s8
Annual report shows impressive increases in carpet diverted from landfill. By Dr. Robert Peoples, PhD, director of sustainability of CRI and executive director of CARE.

THE FINAL FRONTIER......s12
CRI’s Seal of Approval program employs NASA space technology. By Werner Braun, CRI president.

ALSO, WE’D LIKE TO EXTEND A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

CARPET AMERICA RECOVERY EFFORT WWW.CARPETRECOVERY.ORG

Antron......s3.
Beaulieu Commercial......s11.
Bentley Prince Street......s13.
Carpet and Rug Institute/CARE......s16.
InterfaceFLOR......s5.
Mohawk Group......s2.
Tandus......s15.