Carpet Recycling UK Conference: championing resource recovery from carpets

27 Apr 2016 | by MHW Magazine Team |

Carpet Recycling UK’s 2016 Annual Conference and Awards Event moves to a new venue - Leicester City Football Club – where the June 29th event’s theme will be ‘championing resource recovery from carpets’ with guest host and keynote speaker, celebrity architect and designer Oliver Heath.

Drawing inspiration from the success of the ‘Premier League Phenomenon Leicester City’, CRUK will be celebrating the achievements and important contributions by members – both individuals and organisations – who have helped to drive forward greater sustainability in the sector.

The one-day conference, sponsored by Invista, manufacturers of ANTRON® Carpet Fibres will include the annual awards event, which is open for entries now.

Oliver Heath, a regular presenter of seminars on sustainable homes and lifestyles at prestigious design events, including Grand Designs Live and EcoBuild, shares CRUK’s sustainability values having recently completed a full award-winning environmental refurbishment of his own home in Brighton.

CRUK’s conference is of interest to manufacturers, recyclers, contractors and retailers and local authorities as well as architects and designers. It will offer many networking opportunities and appeal to representatives from the whole supply chain.

The full programme will examine topics such as waste prevention/redesign, take back schemes, energy recovery and good practice to encourage greater re-use and recycling of carpet. Case studies from flooring contractors include the ‘secret of carpet recycling’ and sustainability for ‘grass carpets’.

Founded in 2008 to tackle the 400,000 tonnes of waste carpet arising in the UK annually, CRUK’s core funders are Cormar Carpets, Lifestyle Floors/Headlam, Desso, ege, Milliken, Balsan and Marlings.

Last year, 125,000 tonnes of carpet were reused, recycled or recovered for energy – a 31% landfill diversion rate. CRUK’s target is 60% diversion from landfill by 2020.

The four award categories, currently open for entries, are: Recycler of the Year, Reuse Member of the Year, Take Back Partner of the Year and Recycling Champion. The winners of two additional categories added this year will be decided by a panel of experts.

The Outstanding Achievement award will be presented to a company or individual for their contribution that warrants special recognition. The Award for Longstanding Support & Commitment recognises a company that has shown long-term commitment to sustainability and resource recovery in the carpet industry by supporting Carpet Recycling UK and its activities.

CRUK Director Laurance Bird commented: “Oliver Heath is a well-known promoter of the concepts of ‘practical and style led sustainability’ and the principles of ‘ingenious recycling’, so we’re delighted to welcome him as our guest host in championing our aims to find new uses for waste carpet and divert it from landfill.

“Once again, our annual conference offers delegates the opportunity to share best practice, breakthroughs, successes and the ‘secret of carpet recycling’. We look forward to welcoming you in Leicester!”

As the industry-backed association for recycling and reusing waste carpet, Carpet Recycling UK welcomes enquiries from all types of organisations interested in finding new outlets for their waste carpet with potential savings on disposal costs. It can be contacted on 0161 440 8325 or visit www.carpetrecyclinguk.com.