Repurposing Textile Flooring

Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) are a not-for-profit, trade association set up in 2007 to promote reuse and recycling of carpet and textile flooring waste. Our membership has grown and we are now representing 85% of manufacturers, distributors and retailers who place products on the UK market.

Annually, we produce survey data which is used to measure performance within the sector. This data is used to report on the materials placed on the market and where they end up at the end of
the life cycle being either reused, recycled, or treated. We conduct primary research directly surveying the waste management sector in the UK to identify the volume of material waste requiring disposal.

The latest UK figures for 2021 identified that approximately 485,000 tonnes of carpet and textile flooring waste was generated and that 81% of this total was diverted from landfills. The latest survey results for 2022/23 will be published shortly.

To help develop more landfill diversion options, CRUK engages in research projects with Universities to analyse waste streams and identify alternative disposal options. We’ve been working with
the University of Birmingham to use the fibres from the sector in cement production and other applications.

The potential introduction of an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme is receiving a lot of attention from the sector right now. This policy assigns financial and operational responsibility for the
management of waste at “end-of-life” back upon the manufacturers and suppliers.

Consequently, CRUK have collaborated with our Core Members creating four working groups identifying the key issues of an EPR and producing a workable blueprint. The groups are, Data Management: to measure performance; Sustainability Pledge: setting realistic targets; Policy and Legislation: defining what the industry wants from an EPR and Take-Back Scheme: assessing
how the sector can collaborate effectively to achieve this. The findings and results will be passed to Defra ensuring the industry perspective is included in future decision making.

We’ve recently joined the British Furniture Confederation which acts to lobby MPs and the government on the challenges being faced by the manufacturing sectors and to help promote favourable policies to help UK based companies. CRUK is the only organisation within the BFC that is representing carpets and flooring. We will use this platform in our talks with Defra to ensure the needs of the sector are considered in any future EPR launch.

This summer, CRUK hosts our Annual Conference, Dinner and Awards Ceremony at voco, St John’s in Solihull on 10th-11th July 2024. The event will feature an exhibition hall showcasing product
innovations and guest keynote speakers tackling topics from key recycling and sustainability trends to the latest production processes. The results of the sector survey on landfill and waste diversion will be revealed and there will be updates on recent research studies looking at new ways of disposing of materials. The conference will provide networking opportunities, panel discussions and guidance on handling waste.