Commercial sector demand for sustainability is key to future growth of waste carpet reuse and recycling, delegates heard at the ninth Carpet Recycling UK Annual Conference and Awards event last month.

Speakers at the one-day conference, held at Aston Villa Football Club, identified energy generation and equestrian surface materials as leading markets for recovered carpet waste. Consumer pressure for sustainable options is also driving diversion of carpet waste from landfill; a change welcomed by CRUK director Laurance Bird: “Consumers are getting the sustainable message through the power of social media. Social media is working!”

Thanking CRUK’s core funders Cormar Carpets, Lifestyle Floors/Headlam, Desso, ege, Milliken, Balsan and Marlings, Laurance said: “Their support is key to our success. These leading carpet manufacturers believe that creating producer responsibility for their product at end of life is very important for building their business on a sustainable base.”

Challenges remain as guest host Andrew Bird, chair of Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee outlined in his keynote speech: “There is now a need to fundamentally change the way local authorities finance collection and disposal of waste. Carpets can be problematic as bulky items”. Speaking after the event Laurance commented: “We’re pleased with the sustained level of attendance from international and British companies across the supply chain. Webve had excellent verbal feedback particularly on the benefits of networking at the conference.”

Carpet Recycling UK also thanks Invista, manufacturers of ANTRON® Carpet Fibres for once again sponsoring the Annual Conference.

View the conference presentations here. View the conference picture gallery here (external website) (Photographs by www.designphotography.co.uk)

Conference Exhibitors: