Flooring industry support for carpet waste reuse and recycling opportunities in the UK continues to rise, despite an overall 10% decrease in the total amount of carpet waste identified and recorded in 2019 compared to 2018, according to the latest achievements report from Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK).
CRUK’s latest data for 2019 reveals the volume of carpet waste diverted from landfill in the UK was 158,577 tonnes (175,252 tonnes in 2018), with the majority being post-consumer broadloom carpets compared to carpet tiles or post-manufacture waste. Material sent to the energy from waste sector as RDF/SRF had declined in line with other reports in that sector.
However, CRUK’s figures show sustained strong interest from across the supply chain in initiatives to reuse and recycle carpet waste where possible, with encouraging rises in activity in the following areas: carpet tiles reuse has more than doubled, use in carpet fibre recovery was up by more than 50% and plastics recycling (from synthetic fibres) went up by just under 50%.
CRUK Manager Adnan Zeb-Khan suggests that the 2019 reduction in collected carpet waste is due to a number of factors, such as market uncertainty, additional taxes/lower sales, company mergers/acquisitions and the waste sector seeing reduced waste streams generated within the UK.
On a positive note, he points to the ‘increasing awareness towards end-of-life treatment and disposal of carpet waste’ among businesses within the supply chain.
Adnan said: “More than 60 flooring suppliers are now CRUK members, liaising with us in the development of recycling options for their customers. Enquiries from the waste/demolition and construction sectors are also increasing.
“Going forward, our sustainable treatment of all types of waste in the UK is going to change – and carpet as a viable raw material resource will, in my view, be a key part of that equation. We are facilitating the growth of sustainability for companies who are engaging with us ahead of legislation.”
Due to the latest unprecedented circumstances, CRUK’s annual conference and awards event on July 9th 2020 has also been postponed, but the Awards may still be going ahead to recognise member’s achievements during 2019. Awards application criteria is being prepared and members will be invited to submit their entries with the winners receiving their accolades online in the summer.
