The flooring industry faces a long-standing challenge: how to divert used carpet tiles from landfill. Every year in the UK, approximately 8 million square meters (sq m)* of carpet tiles are stripped out and likely sent to landfill. Read that number again: ~8 million square meters of carpet tiles per year in the UK…
With increasing pressure to adopt circular practices—from customers and imminently from the government with its new Circular Economy Taskforce to create a strategy for England—a growing number of contractors are exploring innovative solutions to transform this reality. One such approach is carpet tile take-back services, which take a once-used product and extend its life, creating environmental value.
Solutions at Scale
“This is not a new problem”. Indeed, the flooring industry has been preoccupied with its waste for a long time. But the scale of the problem remains unresolved. Now is the time to tackle it head-on.
Take-back services should be designed to make the process of diverting carpet tiles from landfill seamless for contractors, allowing the collection of cuts, any manufacturer’s products, any project size, and from any location.
Environmental and Social Impact – the Uplyfted way
Carpet tile take-back services not only help reduce waste, but can also generate significant social value. By renewing tiles, which means transforming a once-used tile into a as-new tile, for use in social housing, for example, these services improve living conditions for residents, transforming cold and noisy spaces, into warm and comfortable homes.
There are more than 4 million households in the UK managed by housing providers that could benefit from affordable renewed, as-new condition, carpet tiles. This scale of social and environmental value is what take-back services enable contractors to create.
The environmental benefits are equally compelling. A study by Liverpool John Moores University highlights that the carbon footprint of renewing carpet tiles is less than 1 kg of CO2 per square meter, compared to 9 kg per square meter for manufacturing new tiles. This stark contrast underscores the importance of diverting carpet tiles from landfill and giving them a second life.
Why This Matters for Contractors
Adopting take-back services can offer contractors several benefits:
- Enhancing Sustainability Credentials: Demonstrating a commitment to sustainable practices can strengthen your reputation and appeal to environmentally conscious clients, making proposals more competitive.
- Meeting ESG Targets: Many organizations now have stringent Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals. Engaging with take-back services helps contractors meet these targets while staying ahead of industry regulations.
Driving Change in the Flooring Industry
The flooring industry has a pivotal role to play in the transition to a circular economy. Take-back services offer a practical and scalable solution to one of the industry’s most pressing challenges. By embracing these services, contractors can lead the way in reducing waste and lowering carbon emissions while making a meaningful social impact.
As sustainability continues to influence client expectations and industry standards, contractors have an opportunity to drive change by rethinking how carpet waste is managed. The question is no longer whether the industry should adopt circular practices, but how quickly it can scale them to meet the demands of a more sustainable future.
Take Action Today
The time for action is now. We can collectively drive change across the industry without impacting project delivery. If you are currently working on commercial stripout or refurbishments, please consider where the carpet tiles will end up.