Be bowled over by Carpet Recycling UK’s 2019 Annual Conference

Catch all the action at Carpet Recycling UK’s 2019 Annual Conference and Awards Event, which opens at Edgbaston Cricket Stadium, Birmingham on Thursday 18 July.

With the theme of ‘Design for Recycling and the Circular Economy’, this year’s event will cover innovations in carpet reuse and recycling techniques, as well as new developments in circular carpet design.

The industry-backed association for reusing and recycling waste carpet will be recognising the achievements and important contributions by members – both individuals and organisations – who continue to advance sustainability in the flooring sector.

Sponsored by Invista, manufacturers of ANTRON® Carpet Fibres, the one-day conference will feature inspired talks and discussions, latest sustainability trends, great networking and, of course, CRUK’s annual awards ceremony.

CRUK Chairman Andy Hall

Awards are currently open for entries, with the deadline being 18 June. The awards reward members’ environmental sustainability, innovation and success in recovering carpet for new uses.

The four award categories are – Recycler of the Year, Reuse Member of the Year, Take Back Partner of the Year, and Recycling Champion of the Year.

CRUK’s conference offers valuable networking opportunities, attracting international decision-makers from across the carpet supply chain, such as manufacturers, raw material suppliers, recyclers, waste management companies and retailers. It is also of interest to equipment suppliers and local authorities.

Returning as keynote speaker, Bob Peoples, Executive Director of the US-based Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) is invited to share progress in new technologies for PET and PP carpet recycling and what Europe can learn from these developments.

As well as this, he will be updating delegates on trends in nylon and the use of pile fibres that guides future options.

Other speakers include Marcel Knobbe from Betap® Tufting B.V. on the development of their ‘next generation’ 100% recyclable single polymer carpets that aim to close the recycling loop for carpet, Tony Spreckley from Envirocycle covering carpet reuse and Glenn Mitchell, Distribution Manager at Designer Contracts reporting on success in taking back carpet waste for recycling from commercial carpet fitting.

Adnan Zeb-Khan, CRUK Scheme Manager, commented: “Our conference offers great opportunities to network and share ideas, best practice and success.

“With continuing support from our core funders, other members and the entire supply chain, we are driving hard towards achieving our target and continued diversion of waste carpets from landfill.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming existing and new members to share inspiration in pushing carpet waste – and the valuable resources it offers – ever further up the waste hierarchy and delivering a true circular economy for carpet.”