Flooring is keen to go green

Kenburn – carpet crusher recycling initiative

In addition to landfill tax increases on the 1st April, the government are also introducing a ‘’plastic tax’’ so skip costs will increase significantly says Kenburn so the time to save money and save the planet is now.

Through its 109-strong membership, extensive outreach and industry support, Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) is driving sustainable solutions for all textile flooring waste that is aiding flooring companies’ aims to become more environmentally aware and eco-conscious.

By disseminating and growing reuse and recycling opportunities
within the supply chain, the not-for-profit association is helping companies to create new circular initiatives. Recently, 80,000sqm of textile flooring from the COP26 UN Climate Change conference was reused locally or recycled thanks to CRUK swiftly facilitating connections through its members.

In 2022, CRUK is seeking more participation from the designers, architects, fit out and facilities sector to engage with them in specifying sustainable products which are designed with more recycled content and to help them with sustainable end of life solutions.

CRUK Manager Adnan Zeb-Khan says: “We are ‘flying the flag’ for sustainable products and design for recycling, so that if and when Government policies change, the sector is more prepared to meet any future requirements.”

Anglo Recycling’s big recycling project for 2021 is to reduce changeover times on its recycling line so that it can process a wider variety of waste streams economically. This means that Anglo can manufacture fibre in house for an underlay for a major DIY retailer
in the UK.

So, in this project, Anglo’s electrician reused the old electric panels and switched the wiring from contactors to inverters so that the motor only takes the energy it needs – energy usage is reduced by 35-45% and it gives a payback of 12-18 months on the inverter. So good for business too!

Anglo Recycling – more rapid recycling

Also, Anglo can now for the first time recycle economically surplus clothing that the charity shops can’t sell, countering the “fast fashion” trend which means too much clothing is thrown away.

“We previously brought in the fibre we required for an underlay we manufacture from the south of France – a journey of some 800km by truck”, says Anglo chairman, Simon Macaulay. “Now we collect surplus clothing from less than 20 miles away and the recycling line allows us to pull the clothing back into the fibre blend we require.”

Innovate Recycle are transforming the way in which the UK utilises post-consumer and industrial carpet waste and are at the forefront of a bespoke recycling technology that enables deconstruction of end of life carpets, recapturing the component materials that can be utilised across a wide range of industries and applications.

With the support of private investment and the South East Midlands LEP Innovate Recycle will commence its operation early in 2022, taking in end of life waste carpet, deconstructing it and recapturing polypropylene and calcium carbonate for re-use.

“We will work closely with the carpet industry to increase the environmental performance of carpet manufacturing. Innovate Recycle are at the forefront of new technology in the UK and our processes enable deconstruction and resource recapture from end-of-life carpets, this enables the reuse of these valuable resources, in particular polypropylene,” said Joe Eccleston, CEO and Founder.

In the laminates sector, Quick-Step is the world’s first company that can fully recycle HDF into new material. with patented technology that makes it possible to detach wood fibres from existing HDF and reuse them.

Quick-Step has been committed to producing laminate and other flooring as sustainably as possible for decades. An important aspect of this is keeping wood in circulation for as long as possible. The HDF – High Density Fibreboard, which forms the core of Quick-Step laminate flooring – not only consists of 100% recovered wood, but the new technology now also makes it possible to recycle HDF.

Reaping benefit from renewables

Carpets from Ulster are now even greener thanks to a new energy agreement that will see their manufacturing and warehousing facilities in Northern Ireland powered by renewables. Forecasted to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by over 950 tonnes per year, this is the latest move in Ulster’s long-term commitment to sustainability.

Axfelt Triple Layer Underlay plays an important part in this focus. The facilities in Devon act as Ulster’s Recycling Hub, with the product itself made from 100% recycled materials, including recycled wool, cloth, woven carpet and tyres.

Ranges such as Natural Choice, Habitüs and Open Spaces, which are all made from 100% wool, continue to meet consumer demand for environmentally conscious products, as does the fact that every Ulster carpet has at least 80% wool.

Award winning Ezy-Warm Underfloor Heating is an ultra-thin, super simple system that can be powered by renewable energy sources such as solar panels, using far infrared radiant heating for maximum heat and cost efficiency.

Developed by IOBAC UK Ltd in conjunction with NexGen Heating, the system is very easy to install – it is powered by less than 24V supply (AC or DC), specialist electricians are not needed for its installation. Performance testing has demonstrated that the system uses 55% less power than traditional electric mats, with running costs 15% less than mains gas (based on 2019 pricing).

The system has recently been installed in Barratt Homes’ “Z House Project”, a zero carbon prototype home at Salford University, as well leading modular homes provider Project Etopia’s demo home at BRE’s Innovation Park which showcases best-in-class sustainable technologies.
IOBAC’s adhesive-free flooring installation addresses the issue of used, contaminated flooring being sent to landfill, playing a crucial role in improving the circularity of interior projects.

This installation method is up to three times faster and enables floor coverings such as carpet and LVT to be cleanly uplifted, with no adhesive contamination or damage, so that they can be easily re-used and recycled. In addition, the sub-floor (often metal raised access flooring) is left undamaged

“Hard to Shift, Easy to Lift” - patented Dual -Grip technology ensures that flooring is held securely in place, withstanding high traffic, until uplift is needed for repair, access or design changes.

Underlay is on top (of the eco agenda

Recycling isn’t just about turning waste into a useful product – it can create a better product, with added value. ECO FusionBac from Associated Weavers is a great example. It is a unique premium carpet backing made by fusing together a fleece layer and a woven polypropylene backing which is sourced 100% from recycled PET plastic bottles.

The result is a whole set of benefits including strength and stability but with a soft feel that makes carpet easy to install with fitter-friendly handling and a non-abrasive backing that helps avoid damage on site in a consumer’s home. It also feels more attractive on the sampling that consumers handle on point-of-sale displays. The construction of this backing also improves a carpet’s heat and noise insulation as well as ensuring it lasts longer.

Associated Weavers – ECO FusionBac

ECO FusionBac was a Gold Winner in the 2021 Flooring Innovation Awards and AW MD Gavin Pugh commented: “It really is a winner for everyone. Consumers want to help the planet but they want top quality flooring too. With this backing, there is no sacrifice and lots to gain – it’s a great proposition for retailers to offer.” ECO FusionBac is suitable for all installation methods including stretch fit.

Ball and Young, part of The Vita Group, is a pioneering market leader in the manufacture of PU underlay and has been championing sustainability for over 25 years. 

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With the Cloud 9 range of industry-leading underlays, Ball and Young provides the highest quality products made from offcuts of polyurethane foam or trim from known and controlled sources. Only recycled PU foam is used in the manufacture of the underlay, which is sourced responsibly and ethically from within The Vita Group sister companies. The paper backing on the underlay comes from managed replenished wood stocks, and the final product is wrapped in recyclable packaging.

The company’s manufacturing processes are designed and monitored to minimise environmental impact, and since March 2021, the
Corby-based plant has used 100% of its electricity from wind sources.

Over the past 25 years, the company has saved over 250k tonnes of waste PU from going to landfill, that’s the equivalent of three Eiffel Towers.

This year, the company launched a new scheme to take back underlay offcuts from fitters to divert post-consumer underlay from going to landfills. 

As a further commitment to improving sustainability solutions, Ball and Young became members of Carpet Recycling UK.

Interfloor – 286 rolls of renu support COP26 delegates

Springbond carpet underlay was designed to meet the growing consumer demand for sustainable products. Sustainability has become the number 1 concern of consumers in all aspects of their lives. They want products with smaller carbon footprints, products that don’t waste natural resources and don’t pollute the environment at end of life – Springbond is such a product.

It’s a revolutionary new underlay produced using recycled PET, mainly derived from plastic bottles that were destined for landfill. Also because it’s made from a clean single source recycled material it means that Springbond is 100% recyclable at the end of it’s life, a truly circular product.

Springbond is inherently flame retardant, so no FR chemicals are needed, this also means it emits virtually no VOC’s and it is the only underlay to achieve Allergy UK’s seal of approval. Springbond is luxuriously comfortable, hardwearing and offers retailers an opportunity to meet their customers increasing demand for sustainability. A greener, cleaner alternative to PU foam.