Shaw, in it's effort to be environmentally friendly, has introduced it's Shaw Green Edge line of products. According to ShawFloors.com:
Shaw continually works to reduce waste, improve processes and preserve natural resources.
- Shaw Epic Hardwoods use up to two-third fewer trees than traditional hardwoods.
- We've developed the world's largest Carpet to Carpet™ recycling process to turn old nylon carpeting into stunning new Anso® carpet.
- Our recycling efforts keep 300 million fewer pounds of carpet going into landfills every year.
When choosing new floors, you can show your style and take care of the environment. Shaw's "green" carpets and hardwood designs show that environmental responsibility and fashionable design aren't mutually exclusive.
The labels of Shaw's new carpet styles made from Anso Nylon feature information concerning the recycled content of these products. Evergreen Nylon Recycling, Shaw's nylon recycling operation in Augusta, Georgia, converts post-consumer nylon carpet and converts it back in to its original material, caprolactam--the building block for nylon fiber. The Evergreen caprolactam is then mixed with new caprolactam during the manufacturing process, and new nylon fiber is made. Although Anso Nylon products receive nylon producted with Evergreen caprolactam, actual content in the product will vary from sample to sample.
Anso Nylon carpets are also some of our most beautiful and stylish. Many of them feature the bold designs and patterns that are all the rage in interiors. Check out the
- leafy pattern of Timeless Truths
- wild animal print of Mixed Media
- distinctive squares of Ground Works
- striking, colorful stripes of Tapis
- funky, hip circles of Calabria
Stripes, circles, and squares are versatile elements that can either add drama to a room or, conversely, make a beautiful, subtle statement.
In addition to being beautiful, Anso Nylon carpets are extremely durable and stain resistant. But one of the best features of these products is their role in Shaw's carpet recycling program. Anso Nylon carpets can be recycled over and over again. Because Anso Nylon has been designed to be recycled, this process does not affect the carpet quality, performance, or style. All of the new Anso Nylon products offer the same top-notch features as their predecessors.
Shaw has been working for years on innovative ways of reducing waste, improving our manufacturing processes, and preserving our natural resources. Our many innovations and initiatives are collectively known as the Shaw Green Edge.
It may take gerneations to reach completely sustainable solutions, but it's important to make improvements every day to reduce negative environmental impacts. Below are just a few of the initiatives that demonstrate significant progress. To learn more about these and other Shaw Green Edge initiatives, visit shawgreenedge.com
- Perhaps the most innovative of Shaw's technologies is our waste-to-energy project at Plant 81 in Dalton, Georgia. At this plant, we convert carpet and wood waste to steam energy through gasification. It doesn't actually burn the waste in the traditional sense. It super-heats it to allow synthetic gas to be released while if leaves most pollutants, like carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur, in the ash instead of the air. The process even removes the tiny particles of ash that can contribute to poor air quality. The emissions we end up with are about the smae as those we get from clean-burning natural gas. The process produces energy that would otherwise come from fossil fuels, sends less solid waste to landfills, and saves over 2.5 millions gallons of fuel oil a year in this one manufacturing facility.
- Epic hardwood's 3/8" thick hardwood products use approximately 50% less newly forested wood than the conventional 3/8" engineered alternatives. Epic hardwood's 3/4" products utilize 67% less first generation forest production than is required for comparable solid wood flooring.
- Shaw Transport, Inc., Shaw Industries' trucking fleet, has been accepted into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport Partner program. The SmartWay program is a voluntary collaboration between the EPA and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.
- Shaw has reduced carpet tile packaging by 98% by replacing two-part boxes with cardboard sleeves surrounded by shrink wrap.
- Shaw makes endurance II carpet cushion with 100% recycles materials, using approximately 25 million pounds of waste in its production each year. Additionally, Endurance II was the first carpet pad to be tested and accepted into the Carpet and Rug Institute's "Green Label" Air Quality Testing and Labeling program.
- Our post-consumer colleciton system keeps up to 300 million pounds of carpet from landfills each year.
- Greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by 45% since 2000.
- Evergreen Nylon Recycling helps to save enough energy to run thousands of homes each year.
- Since we began measuring in 2003, we are now meeting a world-class overall energy reduction rate of 3% per year.
- In cooperation with local platic wrap suppliers, Shaw recycles the plastic used to protect new carpet during transport into a wide variety of products, including trash bags, packing material, and automotive parts.
- We've partnered with a number of recycling companies to establish a collection network throughout the country. We expect to collect as much as 300 million pounds of carpet waste annually.
- Shaw's revolutionary Evergreen Nylon Recycling facility in Augusta, Georgia, is recycling Nylon 6 carpets back into the raw material that we use to make new carpets. It's the kind of endless cycle we call cradle-to-cradle, and Shaw believes it is the path to true sustainability.
The Shaw Green Edge is about real environmental progress that results in positive environmental, economic, and social impacts. To learn more about these and other Shaw Green Edge initiatives, visit shawgreenedge.com
