 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Feature from Environmental Building News
June 1, 1997
New Life for Old Carpets
The American carpet industry continues to grow. According to the trade publication Carpet & Rug Industry, 1.6 billion square yards (1.3 billion m2) of carpet were shipped in 1996, enough to cover all five New York boroughs more than one and a half times. To produce that carpet, over 2 billion pounds (900 million kg) of nylon fiber were used, 800 million pounds (360 million kg) of polypropylene, and 230 million pounds (105 million kg) of polyester. Roughly 70% of the new carpet purchased goes to replace existing carpet—for commercial settings the figure is closer to 80%. Estimates of the amount of carpet discarded every year range from 3.5 to 4 billion pounds (1.6 to 1.8 billion kg), accounting for 1% of all solid waste by weight, or 2% by volume....
To read the complete article, please login below.
This article is available to members of BuildingGreen Suite
Join now for access to the entire website.
Membership in BuildingGreen Suite gives you access to all of the product descriptions, articles, project case studies, and other content on BuildingGreen.com. Regular individual membership costs $199.00 per year, however many membership options are available.
More about the benefits of membership...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|