While most home and business owners replace carpet eventually, approximately 89 percent end up in landfills because people are unaware of other options or simply don’t think beyond where the carpet ends up once removed. Another six percent of people burn their unwanted carpet while just five percent attempt to recycle it. Four billion pounds of carpet currently sit in America’s landfills, which accounts for approximately 3.5 percent of all trash.
The Problem of Carpet in Landfills
All carpet is slow to disintegrate in landfills. However, carpet made from oil degrades especially slowly while sending dangerous chemicals into the ground at the same time. The solution of burning carpet isn’t much better. That is because they release hazardous chemicals into the air we breathe such as lead, mercury, and dioxin. If that wasn’t bad enough, incinerating unwanted carpet also releases endocrine disruptors and organic pollutants. Inhaling these particles can cause serious diseases, including:
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Heart attack
- Pulmonary disease
- Stroke
Although the problems caused by disposing of carpet are significant, residential and commercial property owners do have other options.
Reusing Carpet Scraps and Recycling
Old carpet that is still in good shape can serve several useful purposes around the home. For example, people who have cats can create a homemade scratching post by gluing or stapling a few strips of carpet to a wooden board. Carpet scraps can also come in handy in the garden to kneel on while working or to act as a pathway and weed mat. Yet another idea for re-purposing old carpet is to place small pieces of it under table legs or chairs to avoid scratching the floor when moving furniture.
Carpet recycling centers can break down strips of unwanted carpet to make several products, including new carpet. However, locating a carpet recycling center can be challenging. The best way to go about this is to check with an organization called CARE, which stands for Carpet America Recovery Effort. Homeowners in Illinois, Maine, and New York should know that these states have mandatory carpet recycling laws in place.
Alternative Flooring
One way homeowners can ensure that they don’t contribute to the problem of carpet in landfills is to choose not to cover their floors with carpet. Tiles, wood, or ceramic can make attractive options and won’t be as difficult to dispose of when the time comes.
Hire a Junk Hauling Company to Dispose of Old Carpet
Before throwing old carpet in the garbage or storing it indefinitely in the garage, homeowners should consider the solution of working with a junk hauling company like EZ Junk Hauling. The benefits are that junk haulers have large trucks that enable them to take all carpet at once and that they deliver it to recycling centers whenever possible. Junk haulers also work closely with charity and other organizations that will take donations of old carpet. Their numerous connections make it much more likely the carpet will stay out of landfills than it would with homeowners handling disposal on their own.
Contact us today to learn more about your options for carpet disposal in the Bay Area.
