SHAW'S CLEARTOUCH EARNS UL ENVIRONMENT RECYCLED CONTENT CLAIM
03.30.2010
Dalton, Georgia – Shaw Floors announces that the company’s ClearTouch® BCF PET earned 25 percent post-consumer recycled content* designation from the prestigious UL Environment™. UL Environment helps support the growth and development of sustainable products, services and organizations in the global marketplace through standards development, educational services and independent third-party assessment and certification. ClearTouch is a continuous filament fiber that offers the inherent stain resistance attributes of polyester as well as exceptional performance characteristics, such as no pilling or fuzzing, with the added environmental benefit of recycled content.
Last year, Shaw announced that millions of pounds of soft drink and water bottles were used to manufacture ClearTouch carpets. "This patent-pending innovation is unique to the standard manufacturing processes for PET BCF fibers and unlike other processes used in the manufacture of staple yarn systems from PET bottles," said Dennis McGavis, Shaw’s product stewardship and regulatory affairs director. "The 25 percent recycled content validation from UL Environment solidifies the environmental benefits of ClearTouch, and contributes to Shaw’s broader sustainability journey. ClearTouch is a prime example of Shaw’s commitment to Sustainability through Innovation™."
"The Environmental Claims Validation program is part of our effort to recognize companies and products that strive for environmental excellence," said Steve Wenc, president of UL Environment, Inc. "We are thrilled to validate ClearTouch, an important innovation toward more sustainable carpeting."
In April 2009, Shaw and DAK Americas announced the creation of a new joint venture company, Clear Path Recycling, LLC. The facility will produce recycled PET (RPET) from post-consumer PET bottles and will recycle over 280 million pounds annually of PET bottles, or about 5 billion bottles. This venture contributes to the company’s 25 percent energy intensity reduction pledge announced in 2008—and has allowed Shaw to expand ClearTouch product offerings. The facility is currently under construction.
According to Shaw, ClearTouch yarn’s optimum twist and density levels produce carpets of excellence resilience and durability. The ClearTouch yarn system also boasts exceptional softness as a result of the yarn’s fine-denier filaments. The smaller denier produces the supple touch, while advanced yarn engineering, including optimum twist levels, accounts for the superior durability. Further differentiating ClearTouch carpets from conventional PET products is the company’s patented R2x® Stain and Soil Resistance System for enhanced protection against spills and tracked-in dirt.
For more information, please visit shawfloors.com.
*ClearTouch contains an average of 25 percent post-consumer recycled content for PET carpet fiber.
About UL Environment
UL Environment (ULE) supports the growth and development of sustainable products and services in the global marketplace through standards development and independent third-party assessment and certification. ULE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories, a global leader in conformity assessment that has been testing products and writing standards for more than a century. ULE currently offers Environmental Claims Validation (ECV), a service testing and verifying manufacturers’ self-declared environmental claims; Sustainable Products Certification (SPC), a service testing and certifying products to accepted industry standards for environmental sustainability; and Energy Efficiency Certification (EEC), a service testing and verifying product compliance with mandatory and voluntary energy efficiency regulations and programs. ULE is developing additional environmental standards, as well as training and advisory services to support organizations in the sustainable products and services industry.
About Shaw
Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world’s largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floorcovering provider with more than $4 billion in annual sales and approximately 25,000 associates worldwide. Headquartered in Dalton, Ga., the company manufactures and distributes carpeting, rugs, hardwood, laminate and ceramic tile for residential and commercial applications worldwide. A recognized leader in environmental stewardship, Shaw has implemented hundreds of sustainability initiatives and Cradle to Cradle design solutions, collectively termed the Shaw Green Edge. For more information, visit www.shawfloors.com.
