Carpet Recycling

• Publication date: January 2012

Carpet recycling is set to increase significantly in Europe as companies take steps to comply with recycling, reuse and recovery targets for 2020 which are specified in the EU's Waste Framework Directive. Landfill bans coupled with a requirement to sort materials are seen as the best solutions in terms of resource efficiency gains and minimising the impact on climate change. Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) -- a not-for-profit association which was set...

Carpet recycling is set to increase significantly in Europe as companies take steps to comply with recycling, reuse and recovery targets for 2020 which are specified in the EU's Waste Framework Directive. Landfill bans coupled with a requirement to sort materials are seen as the best solutions in terms of resource efficiency gains and minimising the impact on climate change. Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) -- a not-for-profit association which was set up in 2008 to address the challenges of recycling floorcoverings -- plans to divert 25% of carpet waste to landfill by 2015. The report assesses the objectives and achievements of CRUK, and analyses developments in environmentally-friendly processes and products aimed at reducing the amount of carpet waste which goes to landfill from several leading companies, namely Aquafil, Desso, Filature Miroglio, Forbo Flooring Systems, Greenback Recycling, Penthouse Carpets, Protomax and Sellers.

Recycling Industry in the United Kingdom

List of contents
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
Addressing the challenges: Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK)
Aims and objectives
Achievements
Objectives
RECOVERING AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES: FIBREBAK
PILE REMOVAL PROCESS FROM SELLERS
RECOVERING AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES: DESSO
COMMITS TO CRADLE TO CRADLE MANUFACTURING
Desso AirMaster
Desso Take Back Programme
Polyamide, polyester and polypropylene recycling schemes
Refinity separation technique
EcoBase: a backing designed for disassembly
RECOVERING AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES: ECONYL
PROCESS FROM AQUAFIL
The Econyl process
RECOVERING AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES: NEWLIFE
FROM FILATURE MIROGLIO
RECOVERING AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES: P2 FROM
PROTOMAX
RECOVERING AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES: CARPET
SHRED FOR A WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS FROM
GREENBACK RECYCLING
RECOVERING AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES: PENTHOUSE
CARPETS TURNS WASTE INTO ECOFELT UNDERLAY
RECOVERING AND RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES: CARPET TILE
BACKINGS FROM WASTE FROM FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS
RECYCLING OF PLASTICS AND BIOPOLYMERS
Mechanical recycling
Energy recovery through incineration
Landfill
Biopolymers: scope for biodegrading or composting?
CONCLUSION