Take-back service for used carpet tiles

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Sophia Boone
7 years ago
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1 1 Take-back service for used carpet tiles

2 The full life cycle Interface began the journey towards Mission Zero in 1994, aiming to eliminate our environmental impact by This has meant going far beyond the norms for any business, and pushing the limits for what was considered possible. Our approach to sustainability covers the full life cycle of our carpet tiles also beyond the end of their useful life. 3. Closing natural loop 2. Recycling (closing technical loop) through bio-degradable a) Like for like recycling materials b) Down - cycling Re-Use Making true recycling possible Our ultimate goal for all carpet tiles is a closed-loop manufacturing system, where we make carpet tiles from fully recycled materials and convert used carpet tiles into raw materials for new products. Through sustainable innovation, technology and partnerships, we have made significant progress in Europe. Raw Material Extraction and Processing Interface Manufacturing Product 4 Use & Maintenance Energy Recovery End of Life Landfill

3 Such a waste... Every day, discarded carpet means tonnes of valuable raw materials go to waste, much of it ending up in landfill sites. In Europe alone, an estimated 30 million square metres of carpet tiles are sent to landfill or incinerated each year. This is both environmentally and financially unsustainable. ReEntry is Interface s takeback programme for used carpet, offering our customers the most environmentally friendly options for unwanted carpet tiles. Through this, we aim to reclaim and recycle as many used carpet tiles as possible, and guarantee that none will end up in landfill. In 2011, our ReEntry programme diverted more than 11,000 tonnes of carpet and carpet scraps from landfills globally.

4 A hierarchy of options There are several ways to deal with used carpet and some are smarter than others. The Waste Hierarchy The Interface ReEntry programme in Europe offers the following options: Most Favoured Option Avoidance & Minimisation ReUse we extend the useful life of the carpet by refurbishing and reusing it in its existing form, working with social enterprise partners. Reuse Recycling ReEntry 2.0 recycling we carry out recycling through a process that separates the main components of the carpet tile, so they can be transformed into raw materials for new products. Energy recovery if the carpet is unsuitable for recycling, we send it for incineration to a waste-toenergy facility, or for fuel in cement kilns. Least Favoured Option Downcycling Recovery Disposal Maximum Conservation of Resources

5 ReUse extending useful life Many carpet tiles are replaced before they are technically worn, when they could last longer. Depending on their condition, most of these can be reused in other locations and for new purposes extending their useful life. To reuse ReEntry tiles, we work in partnership with social enterprises and recycling organisations across Europe. As well as the environmental benefits this brings, many of our ReUse partners offer social benefits to their local communities. This includes employing disadvantaged people, giving training opportunities to people in need, and offering carpet tiles to charities. Our ReUse programme has also led to the discovery of completely new and creative uses for carpet tiles, including sound and heat insulation, roofing on garden sheds, and art projects. Carpet Re-Use Network (CRN) The Carpet Reuse Network (CRN) aims to employ and train people via the re-use of otherwise wasted carpet tile material, it is made up of a partnership between two social enterprises: Greenstream Carpets and Spruce Carpets. Via partnership working, CRN offers increased waste diversion capacity utisizing the waste heirachy, ie re-use followed by recycling. CRN guarantees that none of the carpet tile material it handles will be landfilled and all of the material it handles will deliver community benefit in terms of training and employment opportunities in the UK.

6 ReEntry 2.0 true recycling Our ReEntry 2.0 recycling process, based at our Scherpenzeel plant in the Netherlands, is a breakthrough for the carpet industry. It makes recycling of carpet tiles possible for our own and other manufacturers tiles. The process uses advanced technology to separate the yarn from the backing, leaving only a small fraction for energy recovery currently. The high purity of each separated raw material allows recycling of yarn into yarn and backing into backing. High purity is especially important when recycling nylon yarn, which is the most carbonintensive part of a carpet. Also, we can feed reclaimed backing material straight into our manufacturing process. Through ReEntry 2.0 we can recycle the most widely used type of carpet tile in the European market today and the process has a significant capacity of 600,000 square metres per year, which we can further increase in the future. It represents a new generation of carpet recycling and brings Interface an important step closer to closed-loop manufacturing in Europe, when we would need no virgin raw materials at all.

7 ReEntry 2.0 how it works We lift carpet tiles on pallets onto the conveyor belt (1), where they pass a metal detector (2) before the main components; yarn and backing are separated (3-5). We use the reclaimed backing on site to manufacture new backing (6), and ship the nylon fluff (7) to our partners who transform it into chips (8) and extrude it as post-consumer recycled nylon for new carpet tiles (9).

8 Saving valuable materials How you dispose of your used carpet makes a difference, in terms of CO 2 emissions, energy consumption and not least saving valuable materials. We have worked closely with our yarn suppliers through many years, to increase the amount of recycled materials in new products. With our new ReEntry 2.0 process in Europe and a similar operation in the United States we are making a more direct contribution to increase the amount of post-consumer recycled yarn available for new products than ever before. And this means we are continuously decreasing dependence on virgin raw materials for new carpets.

9 Taking responsibility for used carpet Working with our trusted partners, we make the process of replacing carpet as straightforward and easy as possible and offer the most environmentally friendly alternatives available. Our ReEntry coordinators will assess and choose the best option for your used carpet, and set up a process to fit your needs and planning. When we have completed the project, you will receive a certificate documenting how we processed your used carpet

10 Conditions ReEntry 2.0: ReUse: Only carpet tiles with a modified bitumenbased backing are currently suitable for ReEntry 2.0 recycling. The tiles must be stacked carefully on pallets with the carpet side up, at a height between 1.1 and 1.5 metres, and wrapped in plastic. Different colours can be mixed, as long as the carpet style is identical. Carpet tile cutoffs must be packed in bigbags and not include other waste material. Bigbags are available on request as part of our service. Used tiles must be in a good condition. Only full tiles are acceptable. Tiles must be stacked carefully on pallets with a height between 1.1 and 1.5 metre and wrapped in plastic foil All backing types are acceptable if in good condition and without heavy sub-floor residues attached to the backing The tiles should have no heavy sub-floor or residues attached to the backing. We cannot accept tiles stacked with some carpet side up and others carpet side down. We cannot accept pallets that include other waste material. Used tiles in poor condition (e.g. damaged, heavily worn or stained) are not acceptable Cut tiles and messy pallets including other waste materials are not acceptable Tiles with heavy sub-floor residues are not acceptable

11 Europe, Middle East, Africa, India AE AT BA BE BG BY CH CS CZ DE DK ES FR HR HU IE IL IN /54 IT KZ NL MK NO PL +48 (0) PT RO /42/43/44 RS RU SA SE SK SI TR UA +38(044) UK +44 (0) ZA

Let s Clear be. www.interface.com/gobeyond

Let s Clear be. www.interface.com/gobeyond Let s Clear be Go beyond labels and claims. It s time to be clear about carpet tiles, environmental impact, product transparency and real progress towards sustainability. www.interface.com/gobeyond a rich