Minneapolis—CARE announced winners of the Recycler and Person of the Year Awards for 2021 in conjunction with the organization’s 20th Annual Conference here. The 2021 Recyclers of the Year are Georgia Carpet Recovery Center (East Point, Ga.) and GreenWaste Carpet Recycling (San Jose, Calif.). The 2021 Persons of the Year are Nick Fiore of Circular Polymers (Lincoln, Calif.) and Kent Singleton of Georgia Carpet Recovery Center.
“This year’s award winners have demonstrated true commitment in the face of relentless challenges,” said Bob Peoples, executive director, CARE. “And many of those challenges continue to evolve today.”
2021 Recyclers of the Year
Founded by Amir Sahebivani in 1995, Georgia Carpet Recovery Center has been actively reducing landfill by providing cost-effective, environmentally sound carpet and pad recycling services since 1995. In 2018 alone, the facility processed more than 18 million pounds of post-consumer carpet and carpet pad. “Georgia Carpet Recovery Center brought vital services to the heartland of the carpet recycling industry,” Peoples said. “They have evolved and adapted over the last 20 years to stay in business and exhibit the true entrepreneurial spirt on which this country is built.”
GreenWaste Recovery opened GreenWaste Carpet Recycling in 2012 to collect, analyze, sort and process post-consumer carpeting, foam carpet padding, commercial broadloom carpet and carpet tiles throughout Northern California. “GreenWaste Carpet Recycling is a vital partner to the California Carpet Stewardship Program,” Peoples said. “Their state-of-the-art handling facility supports the aggressive growth we need to continue expanding this program. The discipline they bring as a large player in the recycling, composting and collection system are a critical contributor for support to the carpet recycling community.”
2021 Persons of the Year
Fiore is president of 2019 Recycler of the Year, Circular Polymers. Fiore has been an active member of the carpet industry since 1997. He developed and evolved many carpet recycling technologies to explore best practices. As an entrepreneur and financier, Fiore has owned and operated five carpet recycling facilities. Prior to carpet recycling, Fiore owned and operated 2pl logistics companies. Fiore leads Circular Polymers in its mission to revolutionize the post-consumer carpet recycling industry. He is an active member of CARE. “Nick brings a wealth of financial and logistical experience to the management team at Circular Polymers,” Peoples said. “Under his watchful eye, Circular Polymers is the fastest growing carpet recycler in North America, bringing needed innovation to the challenges faced by this industry.”
Singleton retired from General Motors in September 2006 after 32 years of service. He then joined Georgia Carpet Processing (later Georgia Carpet Recovery Center) with a mission to improve output and reduce the ash content from 15%. The production goals were achieved quickly, but it took over two years to reduce the ash content to less than 5%. “Kent demonstrates the true grit of an American entrepreneur,” Peoples noted. “Under relentless pressure, he has steered his company through major market upheaval. Times are tough for carpet recycling and Kent has found innovation ways to keep the mission alive.”