The UK’s inaugural carpet recycling factory, working on reducing carbon emissions in the flooring industry, has been established in Northampton under the name Innovate Recycle.
The factory, which cost approximately £10 million to establish, operates at the Lodge Farm Industrial Estate in Dusto and adopts a comprehensive approach to handling waste materials, sorting, and segregation.
Innovative machines within the facility disassemble polypropylene plastic from carpet backing, creating versatile pellets suitable for various applications such as car bumpers and storage containers.
The goal is to repurpose up to 20,000 tonnes of discarded carpet annually, the factory serves as a response to the challenge posed by the majority of UK carpets being manufactured from non-recyclable materials like plastic.
Joseph Eccleston, the visionary behind the initiative, envisions a process of revitalizing old carpets into new ones, thereby diverting waste from landfills. Key figures in the carpet industry, including Martin Harris from Tapi Carpets and Phil Gammidge from waste management company Biffa, have expressed support for this sustainable solution.
