Floors Magazine Floors Magazine June / July 2014 | Page 19

news share your news email: [email protected] will inspire others to do more in terms of designing products that can be more readily recycled or reused at end of life,” continued Laurance. “To achieve our next target of diverting 60% carpet waste from landfill by 2020, we need to look at how we design the sustainable products of the future and how easily they can be recycled.” This message was also the theme of the RSA’s (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) Sophie Thomas whose talk on ‘Redesigning Products and Systems for the Circular Economy’ explored how new approaches to sustainability issues could improve value and resource recovery from the flooring sector. Delegates also heard from CRUK’s newest member, The John Lewis Partnership whose Mike Walters, Group Manager for Waste and Water Resource, gave an update on the national roll-out of the department store’s carpet off-cuts recycling scheme with CRUK member Anglo Recycling. What started out as a trial has gained popularity and momentum with retailers and it is now being expanded nationwide. Other sessions examined technological developments, recycling and collection schemes and insights from several recyclers into their experiences and successes, along with Floors Magazine talks on a host of manufacturing and sustainability issues within the waste hierarchy. The international speaker lineup included Bob Peoples, Executive Director of the USbased Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE). Laurance added: “As a must-attend event for the carpet industry, our annual conference is welcomed as a valuable forum for sharing ideas, innovation and successes. By stimulating debate, we hope to inspire others with the aim of helping to drive the work of the wider carpet recycling network ever forward. “Having made great strides towards encouraging treatment of carpet waste as a resource rather than a waste material destined for landfill, challenges still lie ahead. Designing carpets with recycling in mind is the next big step.” Since its 2008 formation, CRUK has been pivotal in transforming attitudes to the 400,000 tonnes of carpet waste that arise annually in the UK. Carpet Recycling UK welcomes enquiries from organisations interested in finding new outlets for waste carpet. For more information, please call Marie Rhodes on 0161 440 8325 or email: [email protected]. For more information, call 0161 440 8325 or visit www.carpetrecyclinguk.com. 19 June/July 2014