BACK TO YOU.
>> IT'S ONE THING TO RECYCLE
ALUMINUM CANS OR PAPER BUT WHAT
ABOUT CARPETING?
ILLINOIS' CONSIDERING A PROPOSAL
TO FACILITATE THAT BUT THE
EFFORT HAS WALL TO WALL
COMPLICATIONS.
AMANDA VINICKY JOINS US WITH
MORE.
>> AS SOMEBODY WHO SPENT
COUNTLESS HOURS ON THE GORGEOUS
BUT VERY HARD MARBLE FLOORS AT
THE ILLINOIS STATE CAPITOL I
APPRECIATE A NICE LUSH CARPET.
BEYOND THAT AND I SUPPOSE
ADMIRING A STYLISH FLOOR I HAVE
NOT THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT WHAT
CARPETS ARE MADE OF.
MIKE GRADY THE LOBBIEST FOR
PARTNERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
RESPONSIBILITY HE HAS.
>> THEY ARE MADE OF PLASTIC.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLYMERS.
YOU HAVE YOUR ALL THE FINERS AND
EVERYTHING ARE ULTIMATELY MADE
OF PLASTIC.
>> WHEN IT'S THE END OF THE ROAD
FOR A RUG, 99% OF THE TIME THEY
GO TO A LANDFILL.
BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT
WAY.
COMPANIES HAVE DEVELOPED METHODS
TO PROCESS OLD CARPETING
GRINDING IT DOWN TO A PULP SO IT
CAN BE RESTORED TO PLASTIC FEED
STOCK.
>> ANYTHING THAT IS MADE OF
PLASTIC IS MADE OF PLASTIC FEED
STOCK WHETHER IT'S YOUR
DETERIENT OR DRINK YOUR BOTTLED
WATER OR ANYTHING ELSE MADE OF
PLASTIC INCLUDING THE SIDING ON
YOUR HOUSE OR DECKING FOR THE
BACK OF YOUR HOUSE.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE MADE
FROM THE RECYCLED FEED STOCK
THAT COMES FROM CARPET.
>> ROBYN GABEL IS A RESPONSE
TORE OF A --
SPONSOR THAT WOULD ROLL OUT THE
CARPET FOR THE COMPANIES TO COME
ILLINOIS TO DO THAT RECYCLING
WORK.
AND HEARING SEVERAL SAID THEY
WOULD COME TO ILLINOIS AND IN
THE MEANWHILE MAKE GOOD USE OF
VACANT WAREHOUSE SPACE AND
CREATE A LOT OF JOBS IF ILLINOIS
PASSES A MEASURE TO MAKE IT
COMMERCIALLY FEASIBLE.
SHE SAYS THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT, TOO.
>> THE GOAL OF THIS LAW IS
AGGRESSIVE.
IT IS TO ACHIEVE A CARPET
RECYCLING RATE IN ILLINOIS OF
25% BY THE END OF 2026.
ACHIEVING THIS GOAL MEANS
ILLINOIS WOULD REDUCE GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS BY 146,560 METRIC
TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE
EQUIVALENT EACH YEAR.
>> CARPET STEWARDSHIP ACT CALLS
FOR PRODUCERS TO FINANCE THIS
RECYCLING PROGRAM.
GRADY SAYS IT IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF MANUFACTURERS
AND WITH THEIR PAYING THE TAB HE
SAYS CARPET RECYCLING WOULD COME
AT NO COST AND NO EXTRA
INCONVENIENCE TO CUSTOMERS.
>> CARPET COMES TO YOUR HOUSE
AND PUTS NEW FLOORING IN, PUTS
NEW CARPET IN AND TAKES THE OLD
CARPET AND PADDING OUT, NOTHING
IS GOING TO CHANGE FOR THE
CONSUMER.
THE INSTALLER WILL TAKE IT TO
THE SAME LANDFILL AND TRANSFER
STATION AND WHATEVER ELSE THEY
WERE TAKING IT BEFORE.
NOW THOSE PLACES THAT THEY TOOK
IT, WOULD BE REGISTERED AS
COLLECTORS BY THE STATE AND THEY
WOULD THEN MAKE DIVERT ON-SITE
THE CARPET AWAY FROM THE REST OF
THE GARBAGE THAT COMES IN.
AND THEN THE RECYCLING PART
WOULD COME AND HAUL THAT STUFF
OFF TO BEGIN BREAKING IT DOWN.
>> ILLINOIS MANUFACTURERS
ASSOCIATION C.E.O. MARK DENZLER
SAYS APPLICANTS ARE TRYING TO
PULL THE WOOL OVER CONSUMERS
EYES.
IF PRODUCERS COSTS RISE THAT
WILL BE PASSED ON TO CUSTOMERS.
>> THERE ARE NO TWO WAYS ABOUT
IT NOTHING IS FREE IN THIS WORLD
AS YOU KNOW.
AND THIS IS A TIME WHERE WE'RE
SEEING RECORD INFLATION AND
INFLATION RISE AT 7.5%.
THE HIGHEST SINCE 1982.
WE THINK IT'S THE WRONG TIME TO
IMPOSE NEW TAXES AND FEES ON
CONSUMERS WHO WANT TO PUT CARPET
IN THEIR HOMES.
>> HE SAYS THE IMPACT ON
LANDFILLS MAY NOT BE HUGE BUT IT
COULD HAVE A VERY BIG IMPACT ON
BOTH CONSUMERS THE COSTS AND
ALSO ON JOBS THAT NEED TO BE
PROTECTED.
ILLINOIS DOESN'T ACTUALLY HAVE
CARPET MANUFACTURERS BUT MARK
DENZLER SAYS AN INDUSTRY OF
CARPET DEALERS AND INSTALLERS
WOULD FEEL THE PAIN IF CARPET
SALES SLIDE.
CALIFORNIA IMPLEMENTED A SIMILAR
PROGRAM AND THE DATA FROM THERE
SHOWS THAT PRICES WENT UP AND
CARPET SALES DROPPED 30%.
>> IT'S BEEN IN PLACE BY THINGS
PRODUCED OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED
STATES THIS IS AN ANTI-AMERICAN
MANUFACTURING BILL THAT IS GOING
TO FORCE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO BUY
CHEAPER PRODUCTS THAT ARE
PRODUCED OVERSEAS AS OPPOSED TO
CARPET PRODUCED IN THE UNITED
STATES.
YOU HAVE CARPET ACCOUNTS FOR
LESS THAN 2% OF ALL LANDFILL IN
THE UNITED STATES.
BUT IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE AND
HEAVY.
>> AND HE SAYS THAT IF CARPET IS
LEFT OUT AND GETS WET IT CANNOT
BE REUSED.
ALL ISSUES THAT MAKES CARPET
RECYCLING COMPLICATED.
HE SAYS THAT THERE IS --
THAT IS AMONG THE REASONS THAT
ILLINOIS ATTEMPTS TO INSTITUTE
SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAVE STALLED
IN THE RECENT PAST.
ADVOCATES SAY THAT ILLINOIS IS
POISED TO BE A LEADER IN THE
MIDWEST AND THE SO-CALLED
CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND THAT
LEGISLATORS SHOULD BE PRIMED TO
WELCOME NEW MANUFACTURING JOBS
HEAVIER SUSPEND PROTECTING