PureCycle and Emerald Carpets collaborate to promote circularity in the trade show industry
PureCycle Technologies, Inc., a U.S.-based company focused on plastic recycling, has announced a partnership with Emerald Carpets, a leading provider of trade show carpets. This collaboration is set to bring circularity to the carpet industry by developing a closed-loop system for carpet production.
Emerald Carpets has signed a commercial supply agreement with PureCycle for approximately 5 million pounds of PureFive™ resin annually. The resin will be blended into Emerald Carpets’ fiber production, enabling the company to exceed California’s recycled content requirements for carpets. The partnership has already qualified the resin for various uses and is exploring additional applications.
The core of the collaboration involves PureCycle recycling used trade show carpets provided by Emerald Carpets. The material will be transformed into purified fiber-grade recycled polypropylene (rPP) pellets. The recycled rPP can then be used by Emerald Carpets to create new carpets, providing a sustainable carpet-to-carpet solution. This process is aimed at meeting California’s carpet-to-carpet (closed loop) recycled content regulations, which will take effect in 2028.
Both companies plan to collaborate over the next few years at their production facilities in Dalton, Georgia, and Ironton, Ohio, with the goal of scaling the process and delivering circular trade show carpets. The partnership anticipates using more than 5 million pounds annually to create sustainable products for the market.
Tom Boykin, President of Emerald Carpets, expressed his excitement about the partnership, saying,
We are thrilled to partner with PureCycle. Our commitment to circularity in our material procurement and use aligns perfectly with PureCycle’s mission, as well as our customers’ expectations. Using recycled polypropylene will help us create carpets that perform exceptionally well while contributing to resource efficiency and waste reduction.
Tom Boykin, President of Emerald Carpets
Emerald Carpets has already conducted successful trials using PureFive Choice™ resin, including Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material. These trials demonstrated that high-performance carpets made with PCR rPP content can meet the demands of trade show environments, addressing the traditional challenges of sourcing drop-in PCR rPP for carpet production.
Dustin Olson, CEO of PureCycle, emphasized the importance of the partnership, stating,
This collaboration with Emerald Carpets is a significant step toward advancing circularity in the carpet sector. They are a trusted partner for many major contractors and event producers in the trade show industry, and this presents a great opportunity for growth. With sustainability challenges in the carpet industry, PureFive Choice™ resin offers a reliable solution for creating durable, environmentally friendly flooring options.
Dustin Olson, CEO of PureCycle
Polypropylene remains a major component in carpet fibers, and alternatives have been limited. PureCycle’s unique recycling technology helps manufacturers reduce their dependence on virgin materials, promoting a more sustainable carpet and events industry.
