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RECYCLING CARPET HELPS ACHIEVE ZERO WASTE TARGETS
Recycling old carpet to help organisations achieve Zero Waste to Landfill targets was a recurring enquiry theme for Carpet Recycling UK at May’s Facilities Show.
Facilities managers from diverse business and industry sectors were interested in pursuing responsible disposal options for unwanted carpet materials, according to CRUK, the industry’s association for recycling and reusing carpet.
Greater awareness of UK-wide outlets for recycling and reusing carpet materials contributed to more than 60 enquiries, including a number from education providers and construction companies, over the three-day event at Birmingham’s NEC.
Afterwards, close collaboration between CRUK, Global Experience Specialists (GES) who laid the carpets and their recycling partners Green Venture UK ensured that 9,500 square metres of show carpet was recycled for use in new polypropylene products.
Using a unique recovery system, Green Venture transferred the uplifted carpets to a recycling plant in France where raw materials were extracted to make a polypropylene resin, which can then be used in the manufacture of a range of products such as car parts and plant pots.
Commenting on the show, CRUK Director Laurance Bird said: “Zero Waste to Landfill objectives and the desire to work with the Circular Economy in recovering resources were frequently cited by enquirers looking for new disposal options for many types of materials, including carpet.”
“As an organisation dedicated to diverting carpet from landfill, we can put FMs in touch with collection schemes, recyclers and outlets offering alternative disposal options and potential savings on disposal costs.”
Increasing dialogue with the FM sector is a key priority for CRUK, as Laurance added: “We see facilities managers as key decision-makers in the carpet supply chain, so it’s really important to engage with them and gain support as we head towards our target of 25% landfill diversion by 2015.”
Expansion in take-back schemes and the development of more than 30 outlets processing carpet waste for new uses is helping to divert more of the UK’s annual 400,000 tonnes of carpet waste from landfill, with a 21.4% diversion rate – or 85,000 tonnes – achieved in 2012.