Re-upholstery project, green opportunity for MTS & True Textiles

01 Jun '09

3 min read

MTS Seating and True Textiles teamed up last week to divert nearly 2 tons of waste from the landfill during a re-upholstery project at the historic Waverly Renaissance Hotel in downtown Atlanta. MTS Seating - a leading manufacturer of hospitality and banquet furniture - had been specified to re-upholster the 2,000 banquet chairs at the hotel. When confronted with the removal of the old materials, MTS's first goal was to recycle them and avoid the landfill.

"We try to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into everything we do," said MTS CEO Phil Swy. "We wanted to extend that philosophy into the field work we do as well, and to encourage our partners to help look for innovative ways to do so."

MTS Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer White contacted True Textiles, a leading manufacturer of increasingly sustainable textiles, for assistance with the project. Kyle Shofner, True Textiles Director of Business Development, agreed to assist with recycling the materials. He connected MTS with Leigh Fibers, a foam, fabric, and fiber recycler in Wellford, SC., and Univar USA, which has a waste-to-energy partner in Birmingham, Ala.

"This was a 'green' opportunity for all involved, to take action and do what was right," said Shofner. "We are thrilled to be a part of it." The chairs were disassembled on site and the materials were then separated and dispersed. The foam and fabric were transported to Leigh Fibers for recycling, and Univar USA coordinated the disposal of the wood substrate at the waste-to-energy plant.

"By participating in this project, we now understand how to improve the recycling process, the product, and the reverse supply chain," Shofner concluded. "The level of teamwork on this project was encouraging, and I hope we can pursue similar efforts in the near future," added White.

Through this unique partnership, MTS and True Textiles were able to divert 100 percent of the waste materials from landfills and provide re-upholstered chairs to the Waverly Renaissance in a timely and efficient manner.

MTS is a leading manufacturer of premium quality banquet and food service seating for the hospitality market. The company's wide selection of products includes an extensive line of stackable banquet and convention chairs, guest room task chairs, and foodservice/dining seating and tables.

MTS Seating is sensitive to the impact of our manufacturing on the world around us. That's why we developed and adopted the SynerGreen philosophy to make continuous environmental improvements in our processes and products, while practicing sound business principals to focus on satisfying customer needs.

MTS Seating

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