Italian Firm Aquafil Opens Phoenix Carpet Recycling Facility

Each year in the United States, an astonishing four billion pounds of carpet is discarded in landfills, the equivalent of 6,060 humpback whales, the company claims in its announcement. Once it is operational in 2018, ACR #1 will have the capacity to collect and treat 35 million pounds of carpet per year, making a sizeable dent in the waste stream.

“We’re not comfortable with the status quo—less than 5% of carpet waste is recycled,” said Aquafil CEO Guilio Bonazzi. “We know nylon 6 waste can be powerful with the proper technology, and we’re honored to call Phoenix home to that power with ACR #1.”

Carpet recycling has historically been a challenge because of the many different materials used, along with designs that do not allow for easy separation. Through the Econyl Regeneration System, Aquafil avoids the use of petroleum, reduces carbon emissions and gives waste an infinite number of lives without sacrificing quality, the company explained.