Can carpets be recycled? The short answer is yes, of course! Like most other materials, there are all kinds of ways to directly reuse or recycle carpets so that you don’t have to send a fairly large and bulky item to landfill.
Here are some of the suggestions from Recycle Now, which is operated by the charity Wrap – the Waste and Resources Action Programme.
Directly reuse old carpets
You might be surprised by how widely carpets can be directly reused without any processing at all, and a carpet in good condition can still fetch a good price when sold second-hand.
Even donating it to charity can work out more economical than disposing of it, as some will be willing to come and collect your carpet – saving you the time, money and hassle of taking it to the tip.
Sneaky repurposing
Recycle Now has some great suggestions to repurpose old carpets in various places around the home – even including several outdoor applications.
These include:
- Placing sections on vegetable plots and paths to prevent weeds.
- Insulating compost heaps.
- Padding beneath pond liners to cover sharp stones.
- Covering car windscreens when a hard frost is forecast.
Indoors, think about any places where you could use some of the carpet, if not all of it – to cover bare attic floors, both for comfort underfoot and for extra insulation, or cut to size to make a thrifty area rug until you buy a proper one.
If you have pets, sections of carpet can be used to line their beds or outdoor kennels and kitty shelters, again making them warmer and more comfortable for a catnap.
Carpets rarely wear out at the same rate across the entire area, especially when they’re wall to wall, and you’ll usually find some parts – such as those bits that were hidden underneath furniture – that are still bright, clean and look as good as new.
Disposal at home
First of all, don’t throw your old carpets on the bonfire. Although the upper surface of the carpet may be natural fibres, the backing will often be a kind of foam rubber, or the carpet may contain adhesives, any of which can produce toxic smoke when thrown on a garden fire.
You may often see the suggestion that carpets with high wool content work well as mulch, thanks to the large amount of nitrogen content, but again just be aware of the backing in case there are unwanted artificial materials holding that wool together.
Eco-aware carpet recycling
If you’re buying a new carpet, the supplier might take away your old one as part of the deal, and don’t be afraid to ask in-store whether this is something they offer.
The council will also sometimes arrange one-off collections of bulky household items such as old furniture, broken TVs and worn-out carpets.
If you want to be sure your carpet will be recycled sensitively, and you’re carrying out other home renovations, consider hiring a skip for all the waste, and ask your skip hire provider if they will make sure the carpet is processed appropriately.