Designer Contracts is one of the UK’s largest contractors supplying and installing
nationally across many markets in the public and private sectors. “Flooring is an important category to think about when it comes to sustainability,” says Louise Walters, Commercial Director. “I feel we’ve been leading the way as a flooring contractor. That is partly because we have the freedom to choose what products we use, and we are always looking for innovative new products. We look at the whole supply chain when it comes to sourcing products and looking at what we can offer. There is not a lot out there in terms of cradle to grave sustainable flooring products, but there are a few. We are aware of them and we offer them to our customers where we can.”
Designer Contracts has itself launched a number of sustainable products recently. In addition to carpet ranges made from recycled yarn, probably its most significant product is Springbond foam underlay, manufactured by Texfelt. This is made from recycled plastic bottles recovered from the sea and beaches. “For every three-bedroom house where we use this instead of a PU underlay we are diverting 1,000 plastic bottles from landfill,” says Louise Walters. “Texfelt have told us that we have hit the 3 million bottle mark in terms of the product that we have used on customers’ projects. We are now using this widely in the housebuilding market and we are able to share milestones with our housebuilder customers, and provide a certificate which they really appreciate, as it’s great for their sustainability credentials as well.”
With regard to recycling the company has run a huge project which enables it to collect all its carpet waste regionally free from contamination via back haul in its own vehicles. It is sent to a central distribution facility in Kettering, where it is baled and sent on to the company’s recycling partner Innovate. Designer Contracts has been a member of Carpet Recycling UK for 15 years and has won many of their awards, including Take Back Partner of the Year and Recycling Champion of the Year on multiple occasions since 2015.
“Carpet Recycling UK have supported us hugely and we remain closely affiliated with them,” says Louise Walters. The company also has a new recycling programme ongoing with Amtico for both offcuts and uplifted LVT.
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