The Carpet and Rug Institute Issues First Annual Sustainability Report
Carpet Industry Committed to the Environment and Maintaining Sustainable Growth

Contact: CRI Communications Department, 706.428.2103

DALTON, GA, (July 10, 2001) - The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), the industry trade association, announced today the release of the carpet industry's first annual sustainability report. The report summarizes the carpet industry's positive and progressive environmental efforts.

"CRI members are striving to be stewards in manufacturing environmentally responsible products and in developing solutions to carpet end-of-use-life issues," said Werner Braun, president of the CRI. "This report illustrates how the carpet industry is committed to environmental efforts by meeting or exceeding environmental regulations, making great strides in decreased landfill use, reducing waste, improving handling procedures, reducing impact on air and water, and conserving materials, energy and water."

The report focuses on three key areas to illustrate how the industry is creating high-performance products while decreasing the environmental footprint for the value of future generations.

• Environmental: assessment of the overall impact of products on the environment and society, minimization of any adverse impact and conservation of materials and energy.
• Economic: improvement of performance with best industry practices.
• Societal: improvement of the performance of products to create the highest value for customers and commitment to providing a safe and healthy place for employees to work.

Participants in the report included the following carpet manufacturer and supplier representatives: Barrett Carpet Mills; Beaulieu of America Inc.; Bloomsburg Carpet Industries Inc.; Blue Ridge Commercial Carpet; Burlington House Floor Accents; The Dixie Group Inc.; J & J Industries Inc.; Lees Carpets; Mannington Carpets Inc.; Milliken & Company; Mohawk Industries; Royalty Carpet Mills; Oriental Weavers of America; Shaw Industries; Spring Industries; 3M; BASF; Colband Inc.; DuPont Nylon Flooring; Freudenberg Nonwovens, NA, Tuft Division; NALCO Chemicals; Omnova Solutions Inc.; SI Corporation; and Solutia.

The report is available by calling The Carpet and Rug Institute at 1-800-882-8846.