Reeds Carpets Ltd revealed yesterday that it is currently investing over 500,000 in a new recycling facility on a site at Torrington Avenue, capable of processing around 5,000 tonnes of waste carpet each year.
” Up to 20 million square metres of events carpet go to landfill every year. “
– Clare Reed, Reed Carpets
The plant turns Reed's new “EVO-RIB” carpet range into mouldable plastic pellets, using a secret polymer process.
The company said pellets can then be used to make waste bins, plant pots and storage boxes, and possibly carpet for one more use – if trials into close loop recycling prove to be a success.
Clare Reed, development director for Reed Carpets, said: “We are the largest independent carpeting contractor in the UK so we were the biggest villains in sending carpet to landfill. We felt it was our duty to find a solution as we estimate up to 20 million square metres of events carpet go to landfill every year. As far as we know we're the only company with a proven fully recyclable carpet system.”
Technique
Ms Reed, who is also managing director of Reed Carpet Recycling Ltd, explained that she developed the recycling technique three months ago with the help of experts at Warwick University.
She said: “The university did tests with heat and compression but I came up with the final recycling method. The quality of pellets is better than we had thought.”
Although the method of recycling is secret, the director said that the EVO-RIB carpet range included a special ingredient alongside plastic to help with recycling.
She added: “The carpet also performs better than the old foam-backed needle-punched cord because it is easier to lay and lighter to carry. It was full of contaminants and couldn't be recycled, so it is a crying shame that other companies now continue to use it. ”
Public
Reeds Carpets, which supplies around two million square metres of events carpet a year, is already achieving a 65% recycling rate since the carpet's environmental credentials were made public two months ago.
Exhibition venue Stoneleigh Park, outside Coventry, has already agreed to use the recyclable carpet.
Ms Reed said: “We've received a huge reaction since we started to publicise the recycling, with interest coming from as far away as the USA. I didn't expect the extremity of the reaction – but it's nice to know we're getting the carpet out of landfill.
“We provide a free collection service for carpet over 2,000 square metres within a 150 mile radius. Some carpet has not been recovered because it defeats the environmental benefit of recycling if small quantities have to be returned over vast distances,” she added.
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