KTVQ

Posted: Feb 11, 2010 9:30 PM

HELENA -  Montana Businesses and organizations from across the state gathered in Helena Thursday to receive awards for eco-friendly practices.

The 2009 Ecostar Awards celebrate small businesses and organizations that work to reduce their carbon footprints.

Pierce Flooring is one of the nearly 30 businesses that received the award.

The MSU Extension office is honoring Pierce for recycling old carpet.

Pierce is the only flooring business in Montana which recycles used flooring.

"We really think its the right thing to do," said Dave Kalberg, Pierce Flooring operations manager. "It does cost us money, for the trailers for the freight, for the people that receive the goods and what have you. But we've looked at that as a cost of doing business and we think that the public will appreciate it and recognize that is a value added that they are getting."

Pierce has recycled more than 1.5-million square-feet of carpet.

It ships the carpet to a plant on the west coast, where it's broken down into various components.

Green Directory Montana, Loveland Products, MacKenzie River Pizza Company, MusEco Media and Education Project, Sage Spa Living, and St. Vincent Healthcare are among the other Billings businesses honored.