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Clear Path Recycling, LLC (CPR), the PET recycling joint venture company established by Shaw Industries Group, Inc. and DAK Americas LLC, has completed the first phase of its PET recycling facility in Fayetteville, NC.Now operational, the plant produces Recycled PET (RPET) flake from post-consumer PET bottles.

With the completion of Phase 1 this plant has the capability to recycle up to 160 million pounds of PET bottles per year, which will save over 550,000 cubic yards of landfill space yearly. CPR has created approximately 86 permanent jobs in Cumberland County.

“The start-up of the facility is a milestone for CPR and its parent companies in their Sustainability initiatives of reducing environmental impact while creating a viable product for use in their product offerings,” said Ron Salati, VP, administration and commercial sales CPR.

The energy savings related to the Clear Path Recycling operation will save over 1.9 trillion BTUs of energy annually, which is equal to the amount of primary energy necessary to power over 20,000 U.S. homes per year, according to Energy Information Administration data. Shaw and DAK will be the primary users of the RPET Flake (Recycled PET bottles) in their respective polyester based products including carpets, fibers and resins.The remaining product will be sold for merchant use.

“The recycled PET produced by Clear Path will give us even greater ability to provide our customers with the attractive, durable, and environmentally responsible flooring they desire,” said Vance Bell, CEO of Shaw Industries Group, Inc. “This venture is testimony to Shaw’s ongoing commitment to Sustainability through Innovation and will move us towards an even more sustainable future.”

“Today’s celebration of the creation of Clear Path Recycling with our partners at Shaw continues DAK Americas commitment to the polyester value chain and our goal of being a Sustainable company,” said Hector Camberos, president and CEO of DAK Americas.

“With Shaw, we are proud to be the owners of this state-of-the-art facility, as well as the fact that we are able to continue to grow the Cedar Creek site.For our business, Clear Path Recycling will provide us the recycled product and the foundation to incorporate the use of Recycled PET Flake into our PET Resins and Polyester Staple fiber offerings.”

“The Clear Path facility represents a positive step forward in building a sustainable economy in North Carolina, creating jobs while at the same time helping us recover valuable recyclable materials from disposal,” said Manly Wilder, Chief Deputy Secretary for the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. “We are pleased that our state was chosen as the location of this high-tech recycling facility, and I’m sure the people of North Carolina will do their part to feed the plant with recycled plastic bottles from across the state.”

The formation of CPR was announced in April 2009. Construction began shortly there after. Future plans for the facility would increase the recycling rate to 280 million pounds or about 5 billion bottles per year.This will make the manufacturing plant the largest recycling facility in North America.