Reclaim 2 Energy – Shaw Plant R2

As part of Shaw Industries’ “Sustainability through Innovation” initiative, Shaw built a new 33,500 SF Reclaim-to-Energy plant that repurposes post-industrial and post-consumer carpet waste into energy. By-product carpet scraps from Shaw’s production facilities are combined with carpet collected from Shaw’s post-consumer carpet reclamation network, shredded, and processed to generate steam and electricity through a “CAAF” (Carpet as Alternative Fuel) process.

Generated electricity is used to offset the Reclaim-to-Energy plant’s electrical needs by powering the shredding process, while generated steam is piped to two separate production facilities—Plant 4 and Plant 80—to be used in the manufacturing process. This process not only diverts large amounts of carpet waste from landfills but saves Shaw money as the electricity and steam energy produced is cheaper than newly purchased energy.

CxGBS provided sustainable design and development consulting services as well as LEED certification guidance and documentation services. The project achieved LEED Silver certification in 2013.

Added Value through CxGBS® Services:

Currently, the Reclaim-to-Energy plant is converting about 42,000 tons of post-industrial and post-consumer waste annually. This results in about $99,485 in energy savings annually and allows Shaw to address three main priorities: energy cost stability, landfill diversion, and growth of their post-consumer carpet reclamation network.

TEAM:

Owner:
Shaw Industries

Design Professionals:
Shaw Industries

Construction Professionals:
Felker Construction

Commissioning Professionals:
Campbell & Associates

Sustainability Consultants:
Commissioning & Green Building Solutions, Inc.