By utilizing specially processed waste carpeting as a filler in the production
of carpet backcoating, roofing materials, or other similar products, the amount
of waste carpeting that is landfilled or otherwise disposed of is significantly
reduced as is the need for mining the mineral fillers. Waste carpeting (post-consumer
and/or waste from new carpet manufacture) containing calcium carbonate and a thermoplastic
resin is collected and size-reduced to a size corresponding to the size of calcium
carbonate typically used as a filler. The size-reduced waste carpeting is added
as filler to at least one other material, such as polymers in standard latex, EVA,
or PVC carpet backcoatings, to provide a composite used in the manufacture of a
useful product (like carpet backcoating), and then the composite material is used
to make the useful product (such as carpet backcoating, which is used as a primary
or secondary backcoating in the manufacture of new carpeting). The waste carpeting
may provide between 0-100% of the filler of carpet backcoating, with any remainder
made up by conventional fillers, such as calcium carbonate.