Negotiated Outcomes for Carpet Stewardship

Building upon the work of the Midwestern Workgroup on Carpet Recycling, the Negotiated Outcomes process established national reuse and recycling goals and developed a plan to increase the recovery of waste carpet. The group met six times from March to October 2001, with broad representation from the carpet industry and government.

Participants

The negotiated outcomes process included representatives of many major carpet manufacturers and members of the carpet industry, federal and state governments, and one non-governmental organization.

Meetings were facilitated by Cat Wilt of the Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies, based at the University of Tennessee.

Objectives

The Negotiated Outcomes Group intended to work out an agreement that would meet the goals of the industry-led approach described in the Midwestern Workgroup's product stewardship model for carpet. Manufacturers and government intented to develop a negotiated schedule for the eventual phase-out and elimination of land disposal and incineration of post-consumer carpet, in combination with increasing goals for recycling and reuse.

The group expected to develop an initial ten-year timeframe toward this goal of eliminating carpet disposal. The carpet industry was creating a third-party organization that would have the ultimate responsiblity for ensuring that these goals are achieved. The process focused on a flexible approach to meeting the goals for efficiency.

The negotiated outcomes process took into account many factors when setting goals, including current and planned market conditions and infrastructure, potential new products, opportunities for enhancing collection, and public sector solid waste policies that may impact carpet.

Outcomes

The workgroup finalized its efforts with the National Agreement on Carpet Recycling. This memorandum of understanding between the carpet industry and government establishes a ten-year plan to reduce the land disposal of waste carpet, with emphasis on a series of increasing goals for recycling and reuse.

The carpet industry has created Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), a third-party organization that will be responsible for meeting the goals set forth in negotiated outcomes process, and monitoring, assessing and reporting on progress. CARE will be funded and managed by carpet industry members.

Model procurement guidelines for carpet are in development. Public entities around the U.S. will adopt these guidelines, which will reward companies offering environmentally preferable products.

Timeline

Members of the workgroup met six times between March and October 2001 to draft and finalize a national agreement to divert waste carpet from landfills by increasing its recycling and reuse.

March 2001 Minneapolis	Seven states, the U.S. EPA, the Carpet Recycling Institute (CRI), NGO's and individual carpet manufacturers embark on the first meeting of Negotiated Outcomes for Carpet Product Stewardship. The process, timeline and communication structure are decided. Issues and priorities are identified. | Agenda | Participants
May 2001 Atlanta	The issues and priorities identified at the March meeting are discussed. An overview of data on current carpet reuse and recycling data is presented. A timeline structure is developed to lay out milestones. Small groups are formed to discuss goal areas. | Agenda | Participants | Issue Areas | Small Group Questions | Disposal | Waste-to-Energy | Recycling
June 2001 Baltimore	Information on the meeting of the potential third party organization is presented. Reuse and recycling data is fine-tuned. There is a status check on progress of Negotiated Outcomes Group. Small groups continue work in the areas of reuse, recycling, waste-to-energy/cement kilns and disposal phaseouts. | Agenda | Participants | Disposal | Waste-to-Energy | Recycling | Reuse
July 2001 Atlanta	Small groups meet to finalize projections for a ten-year planning horizon. Small groups report to full group on agreements reached. The group refines and evaluates the goals for the MOU and discusses how to format it. | Agenda | Participants
July 2001 Atlanta	A draft MOU is presented for discussion. A tentative MOU is agreed on. A schedule for the signing of MOU and distribution is discussed. | Agenda | Participants
August 2001 Washington, D.C.	A draft MOU is presented for discussion. A tentative MOU is agreed on. A schedule for the signing of MOU and distribution is discussed. | Agenda
October 2001 Chicago	Final discussion of concerns and issues related to the memorandum of understanding are discussed and resolved. New research on cement kilns is presented. Final logistics for signing and distribution of the MOU to the public are discussed and tentatively agreed upon. | Agenda