Barrier removal opens door for carpet recycling

Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK), an industry body working to increase carpet recycling rates in the UK, is encouraging its retail members to take advantage of the new two-tier waste carrier regulations which were introduced by the EA in April 2011.

Up until December 31 2013 carpet fitters laying new carpet will not require a waste carriers license to remove the old carpet and offcuts to be bulked up or recycled.

As of 2014, when the regulations come into effect, they will only require a lower-tier license, which can be obtained for free from the EA, under the provision the waste they are transporting was produced by them and is not being sold for profit.

Talking to letsrecycle.com about the regulations Jane Gardner, scheme manager at CRUK, said: The regulations means its possible for carpet fitters to take back offcuts of their own waste and store it for onward recycling. It opens the door for take back schemes, particularly of offcuts.

CRUK represents members from all areas of the carpet supply chain including: retailers; manufacturers; material suppliers; distributors; and, recyclers. It currently has 63 members and 12 core funders.

Segregation

Ms Gardner explained that by allowing contractors to remove the waste keeps it out of the general waste stream meaning it has a better chance of being recycled and less chance of being contaminated by other waste meaning the recycled materials are of a higher quality.

CRUK urged councils last year to segregate waste carpet at HWRCs (see letsrecycle.com story) in a bid to help boost landfill diversion rates in the sector.

The waste carrier license is not the only barrier in carpet recycling, which is a relatively new activity. We need still to increase the network of recyclers. The key thing is to establish more outlets for recycling as there are only 24 carpet recyclers in the UK.

Targets

In July 2010, at its second annual conference, CRUK announced a target for the UK to recycle 25% of its carpet by 2015 (see letsrecycle.com story).

According to CRUK, the UKs carpet recycling rate was 10% in 2010, rising from just 1.5% in 2008, when the association began. Ms Gardner said she is hoping to see a significant increase in the recycling rate when the 2011 figures are released at their third annual conference in July this year.