Defra gauges responses to textile landfill ban
Delegates at Carpet Recycling UK's 2013 conference
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has gauged stakeholders' responses to the potential introduction of a carpet landfill ban.
Speaking at the fifth annual Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) conference, Natasha Smith from Defra took views from members of the carpet industry about potentially banning carpet and textile waste from landfill, and gathered responses regarding how carpet waste could be minimised. According to Smith, carpet makes up 21 per cent or 450,000 tonnes of the UK’s annual textile waste arising, and said that a “good understanding of the data, waste streams and markets are vital to making an informed decision on any restrictions or bans”.
This follows data from the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which found that banning textiles from landfill could result in a £110 million saving for society, rising to £250 million if unsorted.
Carpet Recycling UK conference details
Held on 19 June at Birmingham’s Institute of Engineering and Technology, the conference saw nearly 100 industry stakeholders including manufacturers, recyclers and waste management companies discuss initiatives that will help close the loop, and develop a circular economy.
Topics included in the conference programme included: waste prevention and minimisation; reuse and energy from waste; designing for recycling; collecting and sorting opportunities; take-back schemes; and outlet development, amongst others.
Delegates heard from a range of speakers, including Mike Walters, Operations Manager, Recycling & Waste for the John Lewis Partnership, who highlighted the department store’s post-installation offcuts collection project which reprocesses unwanted carpet into into non-woven felt underlay, as well as from Bill Griffiths, Viridor National Organics and Recycling Manager, and Louise McGregor, Head of Market Development at Zero Waste Scotland.
Speaking after the event, CRUK Director Laurance Bird said: “There was a real buzz throughout an action-packed day and it was certainly our best-ever event, which was well-received by all who attended. The conference demonstrated how the work undertaken by CRUK and its members is driving carpet waste up the waste hierarchy.
“Active projects revealed how attitudes have changed. Carpet is now regarded as a valuable resource from which valuable raw materials can be extracted for reuse in a second life, rather than just a bulky waste only fit for landfill. The sector is embracing burgeoning opportunities in the circular economy and making the most of existing resources.”
Read more about the UK’s carpet recycling rates and find out more about bringing about the circular economy in Resource 72. 
