UK carpet industry in renewed recycling push

United Kingdom – Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) has expanded its number of member organisations as part of a new push to reach its recycling targets.

Each year, 58 million carpet tiles end up UK landfills. According to the industry body, 750 000 or ‘just 1.4%’ of these tiles were reused or recycled in 2011 – well short of its target of 25% landfill diversion by 2015. An important step towards reaching this goal has been the increase in CRUK membership with 15 organisations, comprising five reuse groups and 10 recycling or fuel flock specialists.

Carpet tile recycling and reuse projects include: the nationwide collection and recycling Take Back programme operated by flooring manufacturer and CRUK core funder Desso; and Greenstream Recycling’s national reuse/recycling collections for local social benefit. The former accepts used tiles from any source, except PVC-backed tiles. Established in 2008, this recycling initiative targets zero landfilling by turning old tiles into new flooring products or using them in other applications. Participants receive a Take Back certificate as a guarantee that the material has been recycled according to cradle-to-cradle principles.

CRUK was also formed in 2008 to tackle the 400 000 tonnes of waste carpet arising each year in the UK.

Source: Axion Consulting