Carpet Recycling Process
SINCE SEPTEMBER 24, 2007, CBT CARPET RECYCLING HAS REMOVED 5,500,000 LBS. OF CARPET FROM THE WASTE STREAM. THIS AMOUNT CONTINUES TO GROW EACH MONTH.
Collection
 CBT Carpet Recycling can only accept dry carpet for recycling and all carpet must be pre-qualified.
Retailers can bring old carpet to our facility directly, or it can be collected via an intermediate collection site. These dumpsters or vans, filled with clean, dry carpet only, are brought to our facility. Once the carpet arrives at our facility, it is inspected and the type of carpet fiber is identified.
Identification
 All carpet is subjected to analysis to make sure the carpet material is recyclable. Not all carpet material is recyclable.
CBT Carpet Recycling uses a light spectrometer to analyze whether the carpet fiber material is recyclable or not. The light spectrometer identifies one of five types of fiber. Currently only one kind of fiber, N6, is being accepted for recycling. As markets change, other types of fibers may be adapted for incorporation into products using new technologies.
Currently Acceptable Materials
- N6 (nylon 6)
- N66 (must be prequalified)
- Polypropylene
- PET fiber
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- Foam padding/ rebonding
- Carpet tile (must be prequalified)
- Cardboard cores
- Clear plastic bags (from padding)
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 View Carpet Recycling And Testing Equipment
Preparation
 The clean, dry carpet is sorted by fiber type and baled / packaged for shipment to carpet producers. These carpet producers will complete the carpet recycling process.
A baler compresses the carpet and automatically weighs each bale. Once the 1100 lb bale limit is reached, each bale is color-coded by fiber type and banded and rolls down the conveyor system.
Each bale is inventoried by fiber type and shipped to end users for recycling.
View Carpet Recycling And Testing Equipment
Sorting and Bailing
Our horizontal baler is a Max Pac High Density Auto Tie, which produces trim bales that weigh about 1100 pounds each.
Recycling
What happens to the carpet once the fiber is separated from the carpet backing and the glue is stripped off the back of the carpeting (the typical scenario for commercial carpeting)?
Recycled carpet by-products can be used for the manufacture of:
- Brand new carpet, after further processing of the fibers. Carpet recycling into new carpet can go on indefinitely and has the greatest sustainability for the environment.
- The environmental impact of the recycling process is best realized by purchasing carpet made from recycled materials rather than oil-based raw materials used to make new carpet.
- Carpet tiles or padding can be produced from post-consumer recycling by a process called downcycling.
- Many recycled carpet by-products can be incorporated into building products and sediment control around construction sites as well as resins for the plastics industry.
- Check our Industry Links and News section for new technology for recycled carpet by-products.
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