Over 13 years of participating in the Recofloor scheme has helped Cornwall Carpets & Flooring Ltd (trading as CorFloors) to embrace sustainability as a core value and implement several initiatives to minimise its environmental impact.
Not only has the Launceston-based business collected an impressive total of 46.43 tonnes of waste vinyl flooring for recycling through the scheme, but it has also launched robust cardboard, plastic and carpet recycling programmes reflecting its deeply ingrained commitment to sustainability.
The family-operated firm provides high-quality flooring solutions throughout Devon and Cornwall, both in the newbuild sector and domestic market. Recent projects include affordable housing schemes, such as one in West Cornwall at Tolgus, Redruth for Treveth, a Cornwall Council-owned partnership.
Cornwall Carpets & Flooring’s ongoing efforts are gaining recognition from key industry players, such as national housebuilder Wainhomes. General manager Michelle Keating said: “They highlighted our contributions in a dedicated press release emphasising the critical role of the supply chain in advancing organisation sustainability goals.”
“Our customers know that we are very keen on actively recycling, but we don’t pass on any costs to our customers. Offering the Recofloor service is just essentially part of what we do.”
Warehouse manager Andrew Jones is central to the company’s sustainability efforts, playing an integral role in educating the fitters on Recofloor best practices, such as Toolbox Talks. This education also forms part of the induction process for new employees.
“Our sustainability efforts soared in 2023 with a remarkable 10.9 tonnes of waste vinyl flooring collected for recycling. It marked a significant milestone for our company,” said Michelle. “It was all down to Andrew and his achievements were recognised with the Recofloor Champion award in 2024. We’re all very proud of him.
“He’s delighted to have won the award, saying that he’d never won anything before. So, it’s sort of given him reassurance that what he’s doing, he’s doing it right and doing it well.”
On site, dedicated Recofloor bulk bags on pallets accept vinyl offcuts and LVT brought back by the fitting teams, which are collected regularly. “Keeping the material free of contamination is mostly down to our fitters and then Andrew will help them to separate it when they bring it back here to avoid cross-contamination,” added Michelle.
Carla Eslava, Recofloor Manager commented: "This company is a great example to other contractors in the industry of what can be achieved through green practice, regardless of business size."
