Armstrong World Industries named Target as its 2012 Flooring Recycler of the Year. Armstrong’s award recognizes organizations that make significant environmental contributions by recycling VCT materials during demolition projects, resulting in waste reduction in landfill materials, transportation, and energy. Target received this award because of their commitment to waste reduction as demonstrated by their efforts to reclaim over 1.2 million pounds of vinyl composition tile (VCT) from multiple stores throughout the United States in 2012. The award was presented to Target during a recent ceremony at their corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn.
Target began implementing recycling of their vinyl composition tile (VCT) in 2011 under the Armstrong VCT Recycling Program. Most recently, Target recycled over 20,000 pounds of VCT from a store in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Armstrong VCT Recycling Program is the first program of its kind to recycle installed Armstrong VCT flooring products as well as qualifying competitive VCT products. Under the program, VCT flooring is recycled in a closed-loop, post-consumer stream with reclaimed material incorporated into new flooring products. Since 2009, Armstrong has successfully reclaimed and recycled over four million pounds of post-consumer VCT, representing 2,000 tons of diverted landfill material. Armstrong has regional recycling facilities in California, Illinois, and Mississippi.
“The program’s value is realized by everyone involved, from the customers that remove and recycle VCT during renovations to the manufacturing plant that uses the reclaimed VCT in the creation of new flooring products,” said Amy Costello, Armstrong’s Sustainability Manager for Commercial Flooring. “The program has little, if any, adverse impact on demolition schedules, as the process requires the same removal time as traditional methods. Plus the program may be less costly than traditional dumpster, hauling, and landfill fees.”
