An Oregon carpet-recycling business is poised to expand across the West Coast and co-owner Ron Smith says the company is also seeing steady growth at home.
With an eye on the 1.5 billion pounds of carpet discarded annually in the West, Smith established Beaverton-based Carpet Collectors with two silent partners and an undisclosed investment a year and a half ago. Now, he’s poised to open three additional locations by 2012.
Carpet Collectors currently recycles 1 million pounds of carpet monthly at its facility on Denny Road. The business generates revenue in two ways: by collecting fees from carpet dumpers and by selling the nylon sheered off of old rugs.
"Everyone wants to recycle, as long as it doesn’t cost them money. In our business model, we’re charging less than the landfills," Smith said, pointing to fees ranging from $35 to $40 a ton for disposal, compared with fees of more than $100 per ton at landfills, Metro fees considered. The non-prime, recycled nylon sells for between 60 cents and 65 cents per pound.
“It’s amazing how much gets wasted, and it’s nylon, it’s a great product. It’s just that nobody has figured out how to recycle it,” said Smith, who declined to share revenue figures for Carpet Collectors.
Well, almost nobody. Read More