Interior Building Products

Carpet, Carpet Backing, Other Flooring and Underlayment

Purchasing information:

Carpet can be made from a variety of recycled resin types, but most recycled content carpet is either polyester or nylon. Polyester carpet is mostly made from recovered PET plastic bottles. Recycled content nylon carpet is often made from post-consumer carpet or post-industrial nylon sources.
Industrial carpet tiles can have recycled content backing, and other carpet underlayment can have recovered content as well.
Specifications should factor in the particular conditions of the area of installation.
Composite wood flooring and wood flooring underlayment products can have recycled content.

Key specifications:

The product shall meet or exceed the federal CPG guidelines for post-consumer recycled content.
All carpet and carpet tile must be certified at a minimum to meet the NSF/ANSI 140 Standard at the Gold Level (see https://www.nsf.org/knowledge-library/nsf-ansi-140-sustainability-assessment-for-carpet-brochure details).

Resources for additional information:

Carpet & Rug Institute - https://carpet-rug.org/carpet-for-business/specifying-the-right-carpet/ and https://carpet-rug.org/
US Green Building Council – https://www.usgbc.org/
Inform - https://informinc.org/carpet-fact-sheet/

Building Insulation, Shower/Restroom Dividers, Latex Paint, etc.

Purchasing information:

The above-mentioned products are all included in the EPA CPG’s construction products list, with recommendations for recycled content percentage levels.
Be sure to consider recycled content products in the design stages of a building’s construction or renovation. Work with architects and project managers to ensure that recycled content materials are specified and installed.
Avoid products that contain PVC.
Interior building products with recycled content can contribute to LEED points.

Key specifications:

The product shall meet or exceed the federal CPG guidelines for post-consumer recycled content.

Resources for additional information:

EPA’s 2007 Buy Recycled Series: Construction Products - https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/construct.pdf
US Green Building Council – https://www.usgbc.org/

Back to Recycling Means Business

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Use This Guide
Closing the Loop
- What Does That Mean?
- Why Buy Recycled?
- How to Buy Recycled?
Definitions
Resources
- Federal Guidelines for Recycled Content Purchasing
- Environmental Purchasing Guides
- Product & Manufacturer Directories
- Product & Packaging Design Guides
Key Products, Purchasing Information, Sample Specifications
- Paper Products (Printing and Writing Paper, Coated Paper, Sanitary Paper)
- Plastic Products for Administrative Offices (Recycling and Garbage Containers, Trash Bags, Office Products)
- Industrial Products (Totes, Bins, Drums, Plastic Pallets, Crates, Slipsheets, Gaylord Liners, Can Liners, Mats, Sorbents, etc.)
- Packaging
  - Plastic - (Protective, Flexible, Rigid, Food, Labels)
  - Paper – (Paperboard, Corrugated Paper Products)
- Interior Building Products
  - Carpet, Carpet Backing, Other Flooring and Underlayment,
  - Building Insulation, Shower/Restroom Dividers, Latex Paint
- Exterior Building Products
  - Composite Lumber (Decking, Railing, Outdoor Furniture, Landscaping Timbers)
  - Non-pressure Pipe -Drainage or Conduit
- Compost and Hydraulic Mulch
- Other Parks and Recreation Products (Running Track Surfaces, Playground Surfaces)
- Transportation Products (Parking Stops, Traffic Cones, Traffic Barricades, Delineators)
- Vehicular Products (Coolant, Rerefined Oil, Remanufactured Parts, Retreaded Tires)
NC Business Leaders Using Recycled Content and PCR Pioneers
- Business Profiles

NC Statewide Contracts that Include Recycled Content Products
- Also Available to Local Governments in NC!
- Department of Administration Purchase and Contracts Division Listing

This toolkit was developed with support from the EPA Sustainable Materials Management Program.

Comments and Feedback Welcome. E-mail Jan Hardin at jhardin@wrpnc.org