NewslineVolume XI, Issue 16 - December 11, 2009
The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
In This Issue: New Solutions Add to Seal of Approval Lists
Congratulations to all the new Seal of Approval participants! Contact Pat Jennings at 706.428-2123. Search and View Lists of SOA-Approved Products CRI's Jennifer Mendez Moderates Panel on Extended Producer ResponsibilityCRI Director of Government Relations Jennifer Mendez recently chaired a panel discussing Extended Producer Responsibility for the Natural Resources Task Force Meeting for the American Legislative Exchange Council's (ALEC) Annual States and Nation Policy Summit, which was held in Washington, DC. Ms. Mendez currently serves as private sector co-chair for ALEC's Environmental Health Working Group, which is tasked with addressing emerging topics such as extended producer responsibility. Multiple Extended Producer Responsibility bills are pending in state legislatures around the country that would hold a manufacturer responsible for recycling or re-purposing products at the end of their useful lives. Panelists included Chris Roeder, International Paper, Parker Brugge, Consumer Electronics Association and Indiana State Representative David Wolkins. Panelists discussed the benefits of voluntary recycling programs, working on these types of programs proactively (rather than reactively following legislative mandates). According to Ms. Mendez, "The information was well received by state legislators from around the country and discussion was lively." Contact Jennifer Mendez at 703.875-0634. CARE Director Sikorski Speaks at National Keep America Beautiful ConferenceExecutive Director of Carpet America Recovery Effort Georgina Sikorski took part as a featured speaker during a panel discussion on recycling that took place at the Annual Conference of Keep America Beautiful, held Dec. 1-4 in Washington, DC. Keep America Beautiful is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. Over 150 people attended the presentation on recycling. As part of its increased focus on product recycling, Keep America Beautiful contacted CARE for information about carpet industry efforts to keep carpet out of the nation's landfills. According to Ms. Sikorski, attendees were impressed that CARE has helped with the diversion of more than 1.3 Billion pounds of carpet from landfills since the organization was formed in 2002. Audience member were also enthusiastic to hear of how many outlets there were for post-consumer carpet. "Many of the people I spoke with were anxious to get back to their local communities and encourage the purchase of carpets and other products containing post-consumer carpet recycled content," Ms. Sikorski said, adding, "The most exciting part for me was the opportunity to establish a link with this organization and its thousands of members located in communities across the US. By working together with organizations such as Keep America Beautiful, we can increase the amount of carpet diverted from the landfill." Contact Jeremy Stroop at 706.428-2127. Asbury Receives Smrekar Award at CRI Annual MeetingProfessional Testing Laboratories' President Gary Asbury was the 2009 recipient of the Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award. The award was announced during The Carpet and Rug Institute's Annual Membership Meeting held November 19 at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center. The Smrekar award was established for CRI by Milliken & Co., as a memorial to its long-time employee Dr. Smrekar, who served on numerous CRI boards before his death in 1998. The award recognizes individuals who have shown "unusual and exemplary service to the carpet and rug industry." Through his participation on various CRI committees as well as his own work, Asbury has been active in the development and support of CRI's Seal of Approval testing and certification program for carpet cleaning products and equipment. Located in Dalton, Georgia, Professional Testing Labs is an ISO 14025 and NVLAP- certified lab that has provided federally-certified test results for all types of flooring manufacturers since 1988. In 2009, PTL performed more than 3000 batteries of tests, at an average of five tests per battery. According to Gary, PTL prides itself on helping carpet maintenance equipment and chemical manufacturers make better products that result in improved satisfaction for flooring consumers. Contact Bethany Richmond at 706.428-2125. View Local Newspaper Coverage of the Event CRI Meetings
* Operating Committee, December 15, 9:00 - 11:00 am CRI Participation in Upcoming Events
If you are aware of other events that present significant opportunities to deliver our messages to our critical audiences, please contact Bethany Richmond at 706.428-2125. Check our website calendar for other industry related events
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