UK carpet effort gets widespread backing

Recycling initiative Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) says it now has support from around half the carpet manufacturing and distribution sectors supplying the U.K. market. CRUK says the buy-in from its 16 core funder members demonstrates a “clear increase in engagement from the sector to act to reduce textile flooring waste and resource usage.”

Support from CRUK now comes from Balsan, Betap, Brintons Carpets, Condor Group, Cormar Carpets, EGE Carpets, Furlong Flooring, Gradus, Headlam Group, IVC Commercial, Likewise Floors, Milliken, Modulyss, Rawson Carpet Solutions, Shaw and Tarkett. They are acting voluntarily ahead of any legislation, says CRUK, including Cormar Carpets and Headlam who already are working with customers to reduce waste and to create cost savings, according to the not-for-profit group.

At the 2022 Harrogate Flooring Show in the U.K., CRUK Scheme Manager Adnan Zeb-Khan has reported interest from raw material suppliers, including fiber and backing manufacturers, seeking advice on how to include more recycled content, and discussing the challenges of separating the component part of carpets.

“We want to have more conversations with raw materials suppliers about the supply of recycled and more sustainable materials as well as, the challenges of decommissioning carpets at the end of life, what is being done and how can we help,” Zeb-Khan says. “We also want to examine more deeply the range and volume of fibers in the U.K. marketplace. The raw material sector wants to do more to help their manufacturing customers.”

CRUK is suggesting companies do a baseline study with their waste or recycling collector to find out what they know about outlets for the material.

“Gaining a detailed understanding of the process means we can provide bespoke advice on how to make improvements and potentially to make savings on cost and resources,” Zeb-Khan says. “We met several flooring contractors with a monthly spend of £4,000 to £5,000 ($4,560 to $5,700) on waste, and we look forward to making a start on helping these companies with next steps and including them in our membership.”

The Carpet Recycling UK official continues, “Overall, it was a positive show, and it was great to meet new faces in the sector from raw material suppliers, manufacturers and flooring suppliers. We look forward to following up all of the conversations and assisting companies in revisiting their textile flooring waste streams as well as using resources in a better way through our 119-strong membership and wider network.”