"Wright" School, Right Choice

At Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, environmentalism has become an integral part of the curriculum and the campus.Offering courses like Environmental Issues and enacting campus wide recycling programs, the university embraces efforts to reduce the amount of waste it produces.Facility management is no exception to these efforts.For Bud Ash, C.R.M., senior purchasing agent at Wright State, targeting the environmentally conscious disposal of used carpet is a priority.Throughout the university, carpet is installed in classrooms, offices, dormitories, libraries—almost everywhere on campus.  With over 17,000 students and 40 campus buildings, the amount of traffic the floorcoverings receive make maintenance and replacement top priorities.  The heavy volume of replacement leaves Ash with more than 6,000 yards of old carpet annually.  Over a year and a half ago, Ash began searching for local vendors to recycle Wright State’s used carpet.  Becoming increasingly frustrated by a lack of reclamation services, Ash found what he was looking for through one of his primary flooring suppliers, Federal Commercial, a member of DuPont Flooring Systems.  Federal Commercial informed Ash that all of Wright State’s old carpet could be disposed of through the DuPont Carpet Reclamation Program in an environmentally sound manner.Since its introduction in 1991, the DuPont Carpet Reclamation Program remains the only nationwide program dedicated to reclaiming any type of used commercial carpet on a significant scale.  And this dedication extends beyond DuPont products.  The DuPont Carpet Reclamation Program recycles any carpet, regardless of manufacturer, fiber type or construction.As the exclusive collection point for the DuPont Carpet Reclamation Program, DuPont Flooring Systems delivers on its promise to keep carpet out of landfills.  Says DuPont Flooring Systems’ Mark Ryan, carpet reclamation manager, “DuPont Flooring Systems is committed to being the environmentally friendly choice in flooring service providers.  Our goal is to eliminate flooring installation waste while providing flooring replacement products and services that are environmentally sustainable.”Before taking advantage of reclamation services provided through DuPont Flooring Systems, Ash watched as old carpet from his facilities was discarded in landfills or burned in incinerators.  Now, Ash is assured that he is contributing to an ecological movement that finds environmentally sound uses for products his facility discards.  Says Ash, “It is beneficial to know that DuPont is finding the most valuable use for old carpet because for years, providers have been removing carpet and just dumping it in landfills.”The DuPont Carpet Reclamation Program exemplifies its commitment to the environment by recycling more than a million and a half pounds of carpet every month.  For Ash, the leadership and technology of DuPont has created a service allowing him to keep his own environmental promise to Wright State University and future generations.