What to do with your old carpets

When it's time to replace a carpet in your Chester or North Wales home, what do you do with the old carpet? Many discarded carets end up in landfills, which is not particularly good for the environment. There are carpet recycling services that extract the material in carpets to make other products. News18.com, a news website, has come up with some innovative ways to use old carpets.

Make coasters and mats

Cut the carpet into a small oval or rectangular shape and glue cork or jute under them to make heatproof table coasters and mats.

Doormats

If parts of the carpet are not worn too much, cut them into square or circular shapes to make door mats. If using them on smooth, hard surface floors, add an anti-slip base.

Plant pot bases

Circular shaped pieces of carpet placed under plant pots help prevent soil and water from spilling on the floor.

Pet comforters

Deep pile carpet pieces make comfortable places for dogs and cats to relax and sleep. They help keep pets warm, especially when placed on smooth surface floors.

By the bed

Old carnet pieces make good beside runners. Use rectangular pieces and stitch or paste a contrasting colour material on the corners to improve the looks. Carpet bedside runners are comfortable and warm for bare feet to step onto on chilly days.

Expect a quality carpet to last for a long time, meaning you won't have to worry about discarding it for many years.