Recycled Fiber Information

N6
At Shaw, we're committed to developing product solutions that are Cradle to Cradle. N6 means Nylon 6 – and it's a great example of how we're realizing our commitment today. N6 fiber can be broken down and fed back into the manufacturing process endlessly, creating new N6 fiber. Unlike other products, N6 has been designed from the start to be recycled.

The building block of N6 is Caprolactam - and that is exactly what our Evergreen facility produces and processes. By grinding the carpet into small pieces and subjecting it to steam and high temperatures, Caprolactum is extracted in the form of steam. The Caprolactum is then condensed into a liquid, and transported to another facility where it is made into pellets for the extrusion of brand new N6 fiber.

Post-consumer Nylon 6 made from 100% Evergreen Caprolactam is indistinguishable from fiber manufactured using all virgin materials. With all the same color and design options, and with great performance attributes, N6 is one of our smart, sustainable product solutions, contributing to the health and safety of our ecosystem. That's the Shaw Green Edge.

 

Anso® Nylon

At Shaw, we're constantly seeking out ways to provide you with a better product by vertically integrating our process so we can control what goes in, and what comes out.

Anso® Nylon is a name you can trust. It is the longest standing, continuously marketed fiber brand in the residential floorcovering industry. Anso® Nylon is among the best fibers available, providing exceptional performance, and built-in stain and crush resistance. Shaw's residential carpet line is now featuring this fiber throughout its product offerings.

Anso® Nylon products are composed of Nylon 6 that can be recycled back into carpet fiber again and again, endlessly. It all happens at Shaw's Evergreen Nylon Recycling facility in Augusta, Georgia. Evergreen employs patented technology that takes post-consumer carpet and breaks it down to its original components, which are then used to make more carpet fiber. And, Anso® Nylon is the only residential white nylon that contains post consumer recycled content. All this without any degradation in performance or limitations in color and styling.

Shaw purchased the Anso® Nylon brand from Honeywell International in 2005, bringing Shaw one step closer to attaining our goal of Cradle to Cradle production throughout our product offering. You will notice that the Anso® Nylon logo has changed from blue to green. It's all part of Shaw's demonstrable commitment to Green Edge thinking.