Sustainability and carpet….can carpet be recycled?

Sustainability is an important factor in all businesses, throughout all industries. We live on a beautiful planet, and in order to keep it that way, we all need to work together. Consumers in general are increasingly more concerned about whether the products they’re purchasing have been manufactured sustainably. This includes the flooring products used in our industry. In particular, carpet production has evolved over many years to be so much more environmentally friendly.

At Bass Floor Newcastle, our main suppliers are all committed to minimising their carbon footprint. For example, Interface Carpet Tiles set out to eliminate any negative impact on the environment back in 1994. Today, they’ve lived up to their Mission Zero commitment and have become the first global flooring manufacturer to sell all products as carbon neutral across their entire lifecycle.

In addition to recycling carpets, there are many programs available to help with repurposing them at the end of their useful life. The reality is, carpets are made to endure heavy foot traffic and can take a bit of a beating. But, they won’t last forever, or you may require a style change depending on the industry your business operates in. Programs like the one run by Interface, Re-Entry, assist with both recycling and repurposing carpet. Carpets contain complex fibres that don’t break down easily, so when they end up in landfill, they’re there for a long time.

How can carpet be repurposed? 

Large pieces of carpet that are still in decent condition can be cut down into smaller pieces and re-used as rugs. Carpet can also be used as a soil cover/mulch for landscaping and gardening purposes. In the case of wool carpets, they’re 100% biodegradable so they’re a great choice for re-use in the yard and for outdoor projects. It’s always good to re-use carpet as a first option wherever you can!

How can carpet be recycled?

If you can’t re-use the carpet, recycling is also an environmentally responsible option. With the exception of broadloom carpet, all carpets can be recycled. Depending on the fibre, they can be broken down and used to make new products. In Australia, there are currently no commercial recycling facilities for carpet for the general public, however, companies such as Interface and Ontera offer ‘take-back’ schemes for their own products to their commercial clients. Sometimes they will even accept carpet tiles from other manufacturers if the customer is purchasing new carpets from them.

The actual recycling process involves identifying carpet and grouping it by its components, usually nylon and plastic. Then, the carpet is run through a shredding machine or a shearing machine to split the layers. From there, plastics are then moulded into other products. Did you know they can be converted in to car parts? Fibres can be re-used in the production of brand new carpets or even cushions.

We’re proud to be part of an industry that is actively making a unified effort to reduce our carbon footprint. Sustainable manufacturing has actually become “the norm” within the industry. Whilst there is still a long way to go in making carpet recycling opportunities more accessible to the general population, buying products that have been manufactured responsibly is a great start. If you’d like to know more about carpet, its life cycle or how to make sustainable choices, give the friendly team at Bass Floor Newcastle a call on 4951 6166.