When a company or property developer decides it’s time to replace and renew the carpets or carpet tiles in an office, the question of what to do with the flooring being replaced needs to be addressed.
Currently, it is estimated that in the UK alone circa. 400,000 tonnes of carpet waste are disposed of each year, the majority of which is post-consumer (used carpet) products, with around 175,000 tonnes (44%) being post-manufactured (clean) material.
Just think; all of that carpet material is going to landfill.
But it could be cycled back into the economy by making it available to organisations that provide flooring for those who need it most.
Ok, some of the carpet or tiles may be a little dirty or soiled. However, once cleaned up, and the best quality sections selected, the carpet can be the difference between cold, bare flooring in a home and warm, cosy flooring.
Given that flooring a home is one of the biggest expenditures a renter will face, re-using commercial flooring can make an enormous difference to the lives of those who may be struggling with poverty.
How Re-Use Benefits Tenants Who Need it the Most
Housing associations can benefit from commercial carpet re-use by allowing them to ensure that their tenants have clean and warm flooring underfoot.
A key growth area over the last few years has been the re-use of carpet tiles and in some cases, the resale of broadloom carpets. Commercial companies that offer large quantities of unused broadloom rolls often struggle to find sustainable re-use outlets.
At times, working with charities can be slow and not the ideal solution. If there is a charity with a hub that can accept volume and feed this through to smaller charities or outlets, then this would be advantageous in increasing broadloom re-use.
More and more carpet tile manufacturing companies have identified the social value that can be gained through donating carpet tile products that have not been sold on the market. Where certain products are being considered for re-use, outlets are identified and these are either give-away free of charge, donated to certain projects or passed on for a nominal fee, which allows the outlets to sell them at a low cost.
How Can We Make the Re-Use of Carpet Possible?
Close working relationships between designers, manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers, retailers, and circular economy organisations have never been more important.
This is especially so given increased media and public opinion, greater consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and the Government’s move toward further legislation to strengthen the UK’s commitment to net zero by urging businesses to set credible short and long-term plans that can be independently verified.
What if your company or organisation has recently purchased new carpet tiles and you’ve been left with a significant number of spare tiles?
It happens, We tend to over-order and now we have a large pile of unused tiles.
If that’s the case, get in touch with us. We’ll help you find a good home for them, helping you make a big difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Carpet Tile Re-use
A key growth area over the last few years has been the re-use of carpet tiles and in some cases, the resale of broadloom carpets. Commercial companies that offer large quantities of unused broadloom rolls often struggle to find sustainable re-use outlets.
At times, working with charities can be slow and not the ideal solution.
If there is a charity with a hub that can accept volume and feed this through to smaller charities or outlets, then this would be advantageous in increasing broadloom re-use.
More and more carpet tile manufacturing companies have identified the social value that can be gained through donating carpet tile products that have not been sold on the market. Where certain products are being considered for re-use, outlets are identified and these are either give-away free of charge, donated to certain projects or passed on for a nominal fee, which allows the outlets to sell them at a low cost.
Commercial partners are working hard to reduce carbon emissions and support people and communities.
Industry Facts and Figures
Since 2007, Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) has been collating and reporting on landfill diversion tonnages within the sector. Over the past eleven years, it has facilitated the increase in landfill diversion from 2% to 44% (2018) and diverted over one million tonnes of carpet waste otherwise destined for landfill.
As part of its commitment to its members and the wider environmental sector on an annual basis, Carpet Recycling UK, conducts a market survey of its member and non-member organisations to ascertain annual carpet waste tonnages.
The information is then compared with the previous year where market information and trends are identified. Every year after the data and information are assessed and verified, it becomes publicly available on their website and is disseminated widely via seminars, presentations, and information folios.
