Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE), the non-profit organization charged with advancing market-based solutions for carpet recycling and landfill diversion of post-consumer carpet, has named Professor Matthew Realff its Person of the Year for 2018.

Realff, a professor and David Wang Sr. fellow in Georgia Tech's School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, received the honor during the 17th Annual CARE Conference, held in Houston, Texas, on May 1. 

Realff, a long-term advisor to the CARE Board, has produced multiple peer-reviewed academic studies about the carpet recycling industry throughout his career and has worked closely with the executive director on special projects. His current research is focused on the design and operation of processes that minimize waste production by recovery of useful products from waste streams. Particularly, he is interested in carbon capture processes both from flue gas and dilute capture from air as well as the analysis and design of processes that use biomass. 

"I cannot even begin to imagine doing the work of CARE without the keen mind of Dr. Realff. We have collaborated since the beginning of his tenure at Georgia Tech. Mass balances, process technology, greenhouse gas analysis, reverse supply chain logistics, Matthew helps with it all," says Robert Peoples, Executive Director of CARE.

Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is a voluntary, non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the landfill diversion, reuse, and recycling of waste carpet through market-based solutions that benefit the economy as well as the environment. Since 2002, CARE has diverted more than five billion pounds of carpet from landfills in the United States and promoted the use and development of products containing materials derived from carpet. CARE members include independent carpet recyclers, carpet manufacturers, dealers, retailers and suppliers, and non-governmental organizations.