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almost EUR 8.5 million in 2016 but
Barthélemy hopes the company’s cir-
cular approach will help the market hit
EUR 10 million in the near future.
In the US, upwards of 1.7 million
tonnes of carpet is landfilled each
year. That represents almost 90% of
the nation’s total carpet waste with
only about 5% being mechanically
recycled.
‘I am glad the construction and reno-
vation sector is undergoing a major
transformation,’ the ceo says, hinting
that more companies are signing up
to Tarkett’s dedicated flooring collec-
tion scheme, called ReStart.
In fact, 102 000 tonnes of flooring –
including vinyl, linoleum and carpet –
were collected in Europe and North
America through ReStart between
2010 and 2018. ‘Last year, we collect-
ed 3 300 tonnes of installation waste
globally through the collection
scheme,’ Barthélemy reports. ‘The

roLLing out the ‘green carpet’
A unique project for Aquafil was to create the cen-
trepiece of the third annual Green Carpet Fashion
Awards in September 2019. The Italian couture
event featured a floral carpet made with ECONYL
regenerated nylon.
The carpet was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s art-
works in the 500th anniversary year of his death.
Covering the Piazza della Scala, the carpet
spanned 2 000 square metres and welcomed
celebrity guests to the awards, including Vogue
editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
‘We are privileged to partner with the Green
Carpet Fashion Awards Italia for the third year run-
ning’, says Bonazzi with a wide smile. ‘This tapes-
try-like carpet shows the endless possibilities
offered by our ECONYL regenerated nylon. Using
our method, we can turn a waste problem into
exceptional materials for the fashion and design
industry.’
The ‘green carpet’ is being reused at other high-
profile events across Europe and, after a few
months, it will be recycled through the unique
ECONYL Regeneration Process.
Aquafil’s yarn was also the main ingredient for sev-
eral evening gowns worn at the fashion event. One
was worn by Veronika Mikos, co-ordinator of the
Healthy Seas project, who received the Circular
Economy Award.

waste is recycled at our factories in
Sweden, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands.’
‘Our close partnership with Aquafil
and the broad support our scheme
has received are fundamental towards
maximising the value of materials
and preventing carpet tiles from
being incinerated or sent to landfill.’
It is clear that success in such a
niche business depends largely on
collaboration. ‘We hope that even
more companies will participate in
our collection programme so we can
make an even bigger difference in the
next couple of years,’ Barthélemy
adds.

designing out waste
To further boost sustainable flooring
solutions, Tarkett launched ‘material
health statements’ (MHS) at the start
of 2019 for every product it manufac-
tures. The statement describes in

great detail the composition of a
product as well as ingredient concen-
trations (chemical molecules), their
role in the product and any health or
environmental risks in case of expo-
sure to the substances used.
Following an in-depth lifecycle analy-
sis, the MHS is verified by the
Environmental Protection
Encouragement Agency established
by cradle-to-cradle innovator Dr
Michael Braungart.
‘We are delighted to help Tarkett with
the last mile of its journey to close the
loop on carpet tile production,’ says
Aquafil ceo Giulio Bonazzi. ‘It is clear
we have to transform the way prod-
ucts are designed and consumed.
Through our partnership with Tarkett,
we will boost the reutilisation of yarns
and help to design out waste.’
Aquafil already recycles around 40%
of all carpet waste in Europe. ‘On top
of that, we now have close to 1 000

partnerships with premium fashion
brands,’ Bonazzi adds.

the right recipe
All this may suggest Bonazzi’s idea got
off to an easy start. ‘It really wasn’t,’ the
entrepreneur recalls with a laugh. Capet
materials are tricky, he concedes,
‘Especially the old stuff that wasn’t
made with sustainability in mind. It’s
kind of like separating eggs and sugar
from a cake you’ve just baked. Recycling
carpets is a little bit of a miracle.’
That’s exactly the reaction the yarn
specialist got when meeting a banker
to pitch his idea in 2008. ‘I was talking
to one of the top five banks in
Belgium. While my excitement was
growing as I was telling him about my
carpet recycling plans, he looked at
me as if I was crazy. He shook his head
when I told him this was going to be a
goldmine one day. He promptly left
the room, saying: “I will not give you

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