Welcome to Shaw Green Edge

Shaw Industries announces the certification of its Ultraloc Pattern, Teklok, EcoLogix and EcoWorx commercial product systems under the Sustainable Carpet Standard NSF-140.
The first American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved multi-attribute environmental standard for building materials in the United States, NSF-140 is a measure of a carpet’s sustainable attributes for commercial designers and end-users.

According to Shaw’s Commercial Director of Sustainability Jeff West, "The certification of Shaw’s commercial product systems under NSF-140 is further evidence of Shaw products’ ability to successfully meet the exacting requirements of multi-attribute lifecycle evaluations."

Shaw Industries Plant 65 in Andalusia, Alabama has begun a facility-wide initiative to collect and use local cooking oil as a source of biodiesel.

Biodiesel is more cost effective than diesel and is a more sustainable, cleaner-burning renewable fuel since the fuel is derived from vegetable oils.

Augusta, GA, April 22, 2008--One of the nation's only recycling facilities capable of keeping tons of scrap carpet out of landfills is exceeding expectations after more than a year of continuous operation, according to a story in the Augusta Chronicle.

Shaw's Evergreen Nylon Recycling plant, which restarted in February 2007 after years of dormancy, has met its goal of recycling 100 million pounds of carpet in its first year, the newspaper reported.

"To come out of the gate and run at our target rate in 2007 was a very successful startup of our facility ... which is fantastic considering the plant had been down for almost six years," site manager David Harless said.

The facility converts used nylon carpet into caprolactam, the raw material used to make nylon carpet fibers. The caprolactam is sent to Shaw factories, where it is used to make new carpet.

Shaw acquired the facility as part of its Shaw Green Edge initiative from DSM Chemicals and Honeywell International, which developed the $100 million plant in Augusta in 1999.

Dalton, GA, March 20, 2008 - U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA) toured Shaw Industries Plant 81 and the company's Waste to Energy (WTE) facility.

Shaw is the only flooring manufacturer in the U.S. to have a WTE facility, described as “cutting edge” by Chambliss. The facility converts carpet and wood manufacturing waste to steam energy through a process called gasification.

This energy conservation technique will power nearly 70 percent of Plant 81.

“When I see a pile of nylon, that would usually end up on the side of the street, used for energy, it’s exciting,” said Chambliss. “Turning this by-product into steam is something to be proud of.”

Shaw’s says its WTE facility saves over 2.5 million gallons of fuel oil a year. It turns 14,100 tons of manufacturing carpet waste and post-consumer carpet waste along with wood flour into steam.

Discover more of Shaw's environmental initiatives at the Green Edge.

Article from: Floordaily.net

 By GREGORY C. UNRUH / Harvard Business Review

Sustainability – the capacity of healthy ecosystems to continue functioning indefinitely – has become a clarion call for business.

Consider Coca-Cola Co.'s efforts to protect water quality, Wal-Mart's attempt to reduce packaging waste and Nike's removal of toxic chemicals from its shoes.