GIVING CARPET TILES A NEW LEASE OF LIFE
Our Spotlight shines on a sustainability initiative from Interface and Greenstream that’s saving thousands of carpet tiles from landfill every year while benefiting local communities
You only need to look at the increasing floods and fires across the globe to recognise that we must take action now in the fight against climate change. However, a recent report from the Climate Change Committee says the UK is currently “woefully underprepared” to deal with the changes caused by climate change, and pressure is therefore mounting across all sectors, including the built environment, to play a part in tackling the crisis. Sending product to landfill has a high carbon footprint, which makes evaluating how our industry tackles waste management and looking for more circular solutions a top priority.
One such material is carpet tile. It gets installed in commercial spaces and serves its initial purpose, before being replaced as trends and requirements change – often well before it’s reached its end of life. But where does this carpet go? At the moment, the UK produces 500,000 tonnes of waste carpet every year and around 165,000 tonnes of this ends up in landfill or incinerators – releasing carbon emissions and costing the UK around £16.5m a year in damage to the climate.
To tackle this issue, flooring manufacturer and global leader in sustainability Interface is on a mission to keep these materials out of landfill by repurposing and recycling them with its ReEntry programme. Delivered through partnerships with
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specialist providers, including Greenstream Flooring CIC, the scheme supports the environment by saving Interface flooring from landfill and giving it a second life in vital community spaces or diverting it into sustainable recycling routes.
A POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP Passionate about reducing environmental impact and creating long-term skilled employment, Ellen Petts, the founder of Greenstream, had campaigned for waste awareness for local and national government before taking the leap to setting up the not-for-profit company. After a chance meeting with Interface in 2008, the two businesses realised they had the same goal of setting a clear recycling route for commercial carpet tiles following fit outs and refurbishments.
With Interface’s ReEntry scheme already established, Greenstream was a perfect partner for taking these carpet tiles and giving them a new life in spaces where they are truly needed, such as housing associations and education facilities. With a starting donation of 10,000m² of used carpet tile from Interface’s customers, Greenstream was born.
Ellen said: “Rehoming and repurposing floorcoverings is the foundation of our business – but it’s about much more than just diverting carpet tiles out of landfill. As well as educating others of the benefits of a circular economy for the future of
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