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It's important to note
that reclamation is merely one component of the path to sustainability.
That's why Interface now plan for reclamation during the design
phase - allowing us to take a holistic approach to carpet reclamation
before it ever reaches the floor. Interface is committed to
eliminating the need to dispense with carpet through landfill at
the end of its life.
This commitment is essential if we are to make the best of resources
already used to create the carpet, and to minimise the imprint left
on the Earth.
Currently available in
the USA and UK, but with plans to roll this facility out to other
locations, ReEntry means that Interface will arrange for any Interface
carpet, or any carpet that is being replaced with Interface product,
to be diverted from landfill as far as is possible, and at a cost
to the customer of about the same as if the product were going to
be landfilled. In UK, the majority of carpet tile can be cleaned
through a partnership with the Pennine Magpie organisation.
Product which can not be re-purposed will, where possible, be re-cycled
into new product or downcycled into other products. The aim of Pennine
Magpie is to create training and employment for people with disabilities
through the reuse, reprocessing and recycling of materials.
The premise for the Interface/Pennine
Magpie partnership is a simple one; many organisations replace their
carpet before it is worn out. What the ReEntry scheme does is to
go into those organisations, lift up the carpet, sort into that
which is worn out (heavy traffic paths), and send these for downcycling
or recycling. The balance may go for re-claim to energy or, as a
last resort, to landfill. Those with less heavy wear can be sorted
and cleaned by the Pennine Magpie employees on site at the Interface
plant in Shelf, outside Halifax, using specially developed machines.
Pennine Magpie can then sell the refurbished tiles on at a considerably
reduced price to customers who would not normally be able to purchase
such a high grade product. They may also be given away to charity.
The Interface operations
team take advantage of empty returning carpet delivery vehicles
to arrange the collection of palletised old product.
In America, Interface
have diverted over 2,500,000 square metres from landfill. A pilot
scheme in the UK in the year 2000 saw over 10,500 square metres
of carpet tiles processed in this way - and only 1,500 square metres
ended up in landfill. The ReEntry scheme is now being stepped up,
with the objective of reusing - rather than sending to landfill
- as much floorcovering as possible.
Interface have provided
the machinery, space and materials during the pilot project and
contributed to the labour costs. The project has offered various
social benefits, beginning with the obvious work experience for
the Pennine Magpie trainees.
There is also a pilot
scheme development for taking back broadloom carpet to be downcycled
into underlays and other products, in partnership with a company
called Wastemaster.
What is Recycling?
Recycling is a term which is often used to describe waste materials
being put to another use.
To help you to fully understand the ReEntry programme, we would
like to familiarise you with the specific processes and how they
work. If it takes more energy and fuel to recycle a product than
the original process, other viable alternatives should be considered,
such as waste to energy.
Recycling: turning waste materials into new materials with the same
value. Example: vinyl backing into vinyl backing, or face fibre
into face fibre.
Upcycling: turning waste materials into more valuable products.
Example: waste PET (plastic from soda bottles) into Terratex panel
fabric, supplied by Interface Fabrics.
Downcycling: turning waste materials into less valuable products.
Examples: broadloom carpet into car parts, face fibre into backing,
or carpet into energy.
Repurposing: Finding suitable products for reuse by organisations
or individuals. Example: Donating used carpet to community charities
or other non-profit organisations.
Determining the Right
Methods:
Product Design
For new Interface products, factors contributing to how a product
will be handled are now being addressed at the design stage, with
the proposition that Interface will maintain responsibility for
your products after their useful life. We need to ensure that we
design the problem out of products rather than dealing with the
problem at the end of the products useful life. In other words,
dealing with the cause rather than the effect. Research and technology
continue to evolve and offer additional methods and options for
how we reclaim products, as well as better solutions for how they
are processed.
Interface evaluates fibre types and overall product construction
to determine the most suitable products for installation, performance
and ease of removal before product reaches the floor.
Embodied Energy
For existing products, Interface work closely with you to determine
the best reclamation option based on location, meterage, product
construction and product condition after removal.
The amount of embodied energy that will be utilised is a crucial
part of the decision process. Embodied energy is how much energy
will be used in each step of a process (i.e. raw material production;
our production processes; etc.) An example is measuring the amount
of energy required to transport reclaimed product from one location
to another.
The approach taken by Interface is to choose the most sustainable
and cost-effective solution to keep products out of landfill, whilst
reducing impact on the environment.
Carpet tile recycling
One example of recycling is turning old backing material into new
backing material. Terra Technologies in Georgia, USA was established
for the purpose of processing vinyl-backed carpet tile. Before a
tile
enters the facility, it's sorted and examined to determine if it
can be used again. If not, it will be sent for reprocessing, either
as recycled or downcycled material.
Here's how it works:
1. If the carpet can be reused, it is cleaned and offered to clients
as "repurposed."
2. If it cannot be reused, the backing is separated from the face
fibre and then ground and pulverised.
The pulverised material is then used by Interface to make backing
for new carpet tile.
When face fibre and backing
cannot be separated, the whole product is pulverised for downcycling.
In a fully sustainable environment, all materials would be recycled
back into the manufacturing loop to
create new products. We call such products closed loop products.
Repurposing
Floorcovering can sometimes be removed and repurposed within your
own facility in break rooms or storage areas, or donated to local
non-profit organisations. We will evaluate the condition of your
product and determine whether it is a suitable candidate for repurposing
via our facilities in the UK.
Maintenance
Maintenance plays a vital role in our sustainability efforts to
keep material out of landfills. Just as a well maintained vehicle
will perform better and last longer with proper maintenance, so
too will floorcovering products. By extending the life of your floorcovering,
you maintain and increase the value of your investment and delay
the environmental impact of any reclamation option. To this end,
Interface offers a comprehensive maintenance service package that
can be designed to fit your specific needs.
Recycling and repurposing
are merely two solutions to the problem. Interface is dedicated
to finding alternative methods to reduce the impact of floorcovering
products and processes on our biosphere
and environment. We invite you to join us on our journey to sustainability.
For further information
contact sustainability@eu.interfaceinc.com.
Or visit our Sustainability Website at www.interfaceeurope.com/sustainability
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