What Happens to your Old, Unwanted Carpets?
Harley Carpets are proud to have become part of the solution to this situation, by incorporating carpet recycling into our service. We have made a significant investment in the Kenburn Carpet Crusher, a baler which will allow us to fulfil our own environmental commitment, that of minimising waste and disposing of all waste as efficiently as possible. Harley are the first carpet and flooring company in Essex to introduce this recycling initiative as part of what we offer, and we are confident we wont be the last.
Kenburn Carpet Crusher – State of the Art Carpet Recycling Technology
A high daily volume of customers means that our fitters lift hundreds of square metres of recyclable carpet and underlay waste, which would have been destined to sit in landfill and impact the environment. We are committed to implementing a zero to landfill waste management policy, and customer reaction to this has been very encouraging.
Our newly acquired Kenburn Carpet Crusher, efficiently consumes carpet, underlay and product packaging waste like plastic and cardboard, amounting to around 50 tonnes per annum. This innovative technology crushes the waste down into 400kg bales. It is then stored in a container until picked up via wagon and transported to a recycling plant. Your worn old carpets, have an extremely high calorific value and after processing are an invaluable source of fuel for use in place of coal, to power concrete kilns and industrial plants.
Uses for Recycled Carpets & Carpet Tiles
Carpet recycling represents excellent energy recovery, creates jobs and turns what was once classified as waste, into a valued raw material. As more and more reuse solutions become apparent, the UK carpet industry is steadily moving towards becoming a circular economy.
Apart from its use as an energy source, the end product can also be used in a wide, ever increasing range of applications including:
- Nylon – Extruded and injection moulded nylon can be used for washing machine parts or wheel trims
- Polypropylene – This can end up as plant pots or buckets
- Mixed Synthetic Fibre – Is combined with crumb and sand to form equestrian surfaces
- Carpet Tiles – The fibre can be used in the same way as nylon, and the separated and treated bitumen on roofing and road surfacing
- Wool Rich Carpets – These can contribute to underlay, sound or heat insulation, and as a soil enhancer or compost
So your unwanted carpets will not go to waste….literally!
Environmentally Friendly Carpet & Flooring Specialists
When it comes to waste carpeting, landfill diversion has increased from 2% to 28% in just 7 years. This has exceeded all expectations and is set to continue as indicated by the efforts and enthusiasm of all concerned. This project is backed by some of the biggest names in carpet manufacturing like Cormar, Lifestyle, Milliken, Ege, Balsan, Desso & Marliings.
The figures are staggering as carpet recycling in the UK has helped to divert 442,000 tonnes of waste carpeting destined for landfill sites to energy recovery. The equivalent to this amount is 27, 335 football pitches, which is a lot of waste carpet. The benefits of carpet recycling are substantial for all involved including customers, retailers and the environment. Harley Carpets are members of Carpet Recycling UK, a not for profit association dedicated to the promotion of carpet and flooring recycling nationwide.
