New recycling process developed for carpets

Many carpets in Chester and North Wales homes are made from polypropylene, which is a petroleum-based material. As polypropylene has not been recyclable, many worn carpets have ended up in landfills or have been incinerated – however, a recycling process has now been developed.

Researchers from the Technical University of Graz in Switzerland, in partnership with British Axion Recycling in the UK and Germany’s Fraunhofer IBP, have developed a recycling process that recovers polypropylene from carpets, which can then be used to make new carpets, along with a number of other industrial uses.

The new recycling process is cost effective. An economic analysis found that 99% of the polypropylene from the carpet is extracted. If the process was done on an industrial scale, it would achieve significant environmental savings.

Polypropylene is a widely used polymer base. As well as making carpets, it has many other uses, included in packaging, pipes and furnishings. As it’s an unsustainable, non-biodegradable material, waste polypropylene pollutes land and sea environments – therefore, the more that’s recycled, the better it is for the environment.

An alternative to carpets made from polypropylene is wool carpets. Wool is a natural product of sheep farming and is easily recycled. If wool is left on the ground, it decomposes, releasing nutrients into the soil that promote grass growth.

A quality wool carpet will generally be more expensive than a polypropylene one, but it should last a long time. Wool provides a luxury feel to a home and has insulating properties that make a room more energy efficient.