Recycled Carpet

Description
♦ Recycled carpet is made from post consumer and/or post industrial waste ♦ Aim for a high percentage of recycled and recyclable content
♦ Check for the ISO eco label
♦ Similar in appearance to traditional floor coverings made from synthetic virgin fibres
♦ Available in a large range of colours, styles and patterns

Nylon
♦ Reclaimed from the carpet manufacturing process
♦ Makes up to 25% of recycled content
♦ Recycling carpet textile fibres to make new carpet is more difficult to process

Backing and underlay
♦ Backing available; natural mineral, natural jute, 100% recycled carpet fibre, recycled rubber

Uses
♦ Suitable for residential and commercial installations
♦ Rolls of carpet and carpet tiles
♦ Recycled carpet can be remanufactured into carpet fibres and carpet backing

Advantages
♦ Lower emission of VOCs due to recycled content containing less chemical additives
♦ Better colour fast properties than synthetic virgin fibres
♦ Good stain resistant properties – higher level than non recycled carpet fibres
♦ Good bleach resistant properties
♦ Good moth, insect and mildew repellent properties
♦ Other properties are alike with synthetic virgin fibres; anti static, matting, indentation from static loads, anti fading
♦ PET is inherently resistant to stains – removing the need for treating chemically during manufacture as with nylon carpet fibres
♦ Better resistance to stains than nylon carpets
♦ PET is easy to maintain as more resilient, which reduces the need for chemical cleaning agents
♦ High levels of abrasion and wear and tear resistance
♦ Low moisture absorption levels
♦ Purchasing recycled-content carpeting is one way to help close the loop in manufacturing

Disadvantages
♦ PET & nylon need frequent cleaning which uses water and energy resources
♦ Less colours, styles and patterns than traditional virgin fibre carpet
♦ Knowledge and familiarity of product is not widespread among retailers

Cost
♦ Similar price to traditionally synthetic carpet made from virgin fibres

Embodied Energy
♦ Production does not create as many emissions and VOCs reducing air pollution
♦ Production by product waste is reduced – through recycling
♦ Resources are used more efficiently with the reduction in the amount of virgin fibres and materials during manufacture
♦ Recycling increases embodied energy levels with the added need for transport and distribution

Source/Origin
♦ Readily available where a recycling initiative is implemented by manufacturers

Renewable
♦ Post consumer carpet for recycling is widely abundant

Environment & Health
♦ Adhesives can contain VOCs
♦ Recycled carpet has lower levels of VOCs emissions
♦ Direct stick installation must use a low or zero VOCs to maintain the low level VOCs characteristics of recycle carpet
♦ Recycling reduces waste in landfill sites

Performance
♦ Durable and strong
♦ PET recycled fibres do not lose fibre quality during the recycling process

Recycled content
♦ Varying percentages of recycled content

Recyclable
♦ Direct stick installation lessens the possibility of recycling carpet
♦ Only recyclable in specialist facilities with recycling initiatives set up, not yet readily available
♦ Post consumer carpeting may be eligible for a ‘take back scheme’ where the manufacturer recovers the carpet for remanufacture, recycling and downcycling
♦ Be careful – the recycling logo may only mean that the product is recyclable and NOT that it consists of recycled content
♦ Recycled PET fibres and materials cannot be recycled into new carpet
♦ Post consumer recycled PET fibres can only be downcycled into lesser quality items

Disposal / Biodegradable
♦ PET and nylon are non-biodegradable
♦ PET and nylon when incinerated release toxic vapours and VOC emissions

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