Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) has reported a large increase in the amount of carpet and textile flooring waste being diverted from landfill in 2021 with 82% of the 462,000 tons of waste generated in that year finding alternative reuse, recycling, treatment and disposal routes.

“This percentage increase is reflecting the final effects of the pandemic when most of the waste captured by the waste management sector was sent to energy from waste facilities,” said scheme manager Adnan Zeb-Khan at the company’s annual conference held in June.

He also emphasised the need for the industry to take action to develop and lead its own extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislative framework.

“We are leading this strategy with the development of four key working groups to address key areas such as data management, a take-back scheme, sustainability pledge and EPR based policy,” he said. “These key areas will allow us to develop a road map of favourable and workable policies for the sector.”

Several presenters echoed this sentiment and concluded that any EPR-based legislation should be industry led, with CRUK, as a not-for-profit organisation, best placed to direct these efforts through its 138-strong membership and extensive UK-wide and international outreach.

www.carpetrecyclinguk.com