Carpet Recycling UK builds flooring sector momentum at Harrogate

Exhibiting on Stand A45 at the 2022 Harrogate Flooring Show, Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) is inviting the sector to build on collaborative momentum and act to reduce textile flooring waste and resource usage ahead of any potential changes to UK legislation such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

The not-for-profit association is urging manufacturers, flooring companies and recyclers to engage with its network to collaborate in putting sustainable processes in place that minimise waste, save on costs and keep resources in the supply chain longer.

The aim is to consider reuse and recycling at the design stages and produce products for the circular economy and to implement processes to retrieve them for recycling.

Adnan Zeb-Khan, CRUK Scheme Manager, says: “Over the past year, we’ve recognised clear interest from the manufacturing sector in collaborating with our 119-strong network with a view to preparing for a potential future policy change where an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme could be a reality.

“While carpet and textile flooring are not on the immediate EPR agenda for Government policy makers, we are encouraging companies to be ahead of the curve and work with together with a shared interest to make potential EPR policies relevant and as fair as possible.

“We have the opportunity to help shape any forthcoming schemes and perhaps even develop our own code of practice policies to reduce any impact on the sector going forward.”

Core funders

CRUK’s core funders have grown in number to 15, and support now comes from Balsan, Betap, Brintons Carpets, Condor Group, Cormar Carpets, ege Carpets, Furlong Flooring, Gradus, Headlam Group, IVC Commercial, Milliken, Modulyss, Rawson Carpet Solutions, Shaw and Tarkett.

Many of them are acting voluntarily ahead of any legislation, including Cormar Carpets, which with assistance from CRUK, is helping their key customers to consider their waste minimisation and to create cost savings.

Adnan continues: “We congratulate and continue to work with our members who have made great strides already in addressing waste and resources reduction.

“However, we need to emphasise that those who are not may face difficulties in the future and risk being left behind. Now is the time to act and put your sustainability plans into action.”

Cormar Carpets

Textile flooring producers, distributors, contractors and retailers are all welcome to CRUK’s stand next to long-standing core funder Cormar Carpets, where they can discuss latest outlets and what to consider in relation to logistics, for all types of surplus and used flooring to help reduce waste and save money.

Ian Ford, MD of Cormar, comments: “As a longstanding core funder of CRUK since 2010, Cormar are extremely passionate about continually improving our sustainable processes and reducing textile flooring waste.

“This year we invested in a state-of-the-art recycling hub at our Lancashire mill, enabling us to recycle and reuse over 150,000 cardboard cones a week as well as the residual yarn.

“I think it’s extremely important for the flooring industry to step up its efforts in becoming more sustainable and start asking questions about how we can reduce waste, reuse materials and in turn reduce the high costs of previous processes.”

Awards

CRUK is on the shortlist in the Environmental category of the National Flooring Innovation Awards 2022 for its Circular Economy Achievements.

Adnan adds: “For more than a decade we have helped the UK manufacturing and recycling sector to find innovative market-based solutions to moving textile flooring waste up the waste hierarchy.

“With new technological and recycling developments motivating us to do even more, come and see us on our stand to discuss your requirements.”

For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.carpetrecyclinguk.com