Young engineer wins award for lower-carbon carpets

Alexandra Joyce Roe is among four inaugural Young Engineers Awards for Innovation and Sustainability winners.

Her winning project was the development of technology to reduce the carbon footprint of carpets, which she worked on with Milliken carpet manufacturers.

Alexandra spent a replacement year at Milliken Carpets as a component of her bachelor's degree. Then, as part of her master's degree, she decided to focus on sustainability, and the carpet manufacturer agreed that she could return to work on a project to research how to reduce the carbon footprint of carpets.

Biochar is an organic material which is heat treated without oxygen to form a material which is 80% carbon. Alexandra tested various biochar formulations before finding the optimum recipe. In pilot trials of producing carpet tiles with added biochar, she reduced the tiles' carbon footprint by 36%.

Biochar is already used in carpet manufacturing to bind CO2, but Alexandra's research could make more efficient use of biochar materials. She has now left the project and plans to work in Europe on sustainability projects.

The 2024 Young Engineers Awards for Innovation and Sustainability was a pilot program, but there are plans to make it an annual awards event.

Biochar is one of many technologies that make carpet tiles more sustainable. Flooring services in Chester supply wool carpets made with natural eco-friendly sheep's wool. Adhesives to fix carpet tiles are available that contain natural products rather than harsh chemicals. Materials can be extracted from worn carpet tiles which are used to make new products.

Karndean flooring range celebrates natural stone and wood

Karndean Designflooring has expanded its Art Select range by adding 39 new designs based on natural wood and stone.

These new designs include European oak, English ash wood, marble, onyx, Ceppo di Gré, (a type of terrazzo) and Damask oak, which has a warm light, unfinished look. Real Persian onyx is too fragile and porose for flooring, but Karndean Persian onyx tiles have the beautiful look of natural stone without any of the natural stone drawbacks.

The managing director of Karndean Designflooring, Fleur Carson, said:

"Our designers have travelled extensively to find unique samples of wood and stone that exhibit the most beautiful features of each natural material."

She stated that the Art Select range has precise colours and surface embossing that "pushes the boundaries of flooring design". The flooring recreates the beautiful features of natural materials from the iconic veining of Greek and Italian marble to the grains and knots of Spanish holm oak.

The Art Select range is available in a range of tile and plank sizes, including a new slim plank and herringbone patterns. The flooring can be cut by hand to create individualised layouts. It is exceptionally durable and has long manufacturer guarantees for domestic or commercial use.

Karndean luxury vinyl flooring is available from flooring services in Chester and North Wales. As well as bringing the textures and colours of nature into rooms, business and residential consumers choose Karndean because the flooring is waterproof, easy to clean, durable and comfortable to walk on.

Carpet colour psychology influences college activities

The designers of the Mt Aspiring College renovation in New Zealand are using colour psychology in carpet tiles to influence the activities that take place in various campus zones.

Colour psychology is based on the theory that colours affect emotions and behaviour. In the college, there are areas where students need to be active, and others where relaxation is encouraged.

In some zones, students need to be creative to collaborate with others, whilst in other areas, students need to be more focused and productive. The flooring colours have therefore been designed to match the varying activities and moods in different zones.

An example of this is the library, where the floor has a calming yellow shade designed to promote relaxed, quiet study. Visually stimulating bright colours, on the other hand, welcome students to zones where group discussions and teamwork is encouraged.

When visiting a carpet retailer in Wrexham or North Wales, home or business owners should take into account what type of activities will take place in the area of the house or commercial premises they’re decorating. Warm neutral colours, for example, can invoke feelings of calm, comfort and safety, whereas bold and bright colours can ignite creativity and stimulate the brain.

Carpet tiles can be used to make shapes that are also thought to affect the mind. Rectangles and squares, for instance, are standard layouts that are said to represent stability and trust.

Patterns also influence the environment. For instance, nature-inspired wood or stone vinyl flooring patterns bring the calmness of nature indoors.

How mushrooms eliminate toxins in flooring waste

Flooring manufacturer Tarkett has partnered with Mycocyle to research how mycelia fungal root structures from mushrooms consume toxins in flooring waste and turn them into harmless raw material for new flooring.

Tarkett's ReStart program takes back old flooring for recycling. The collaboration with Mycocyle is developing alternative ways of dealing with flooring waste. Mycelia could turn diverse types of flooring into a new type of central ingredient for new flooring products.

This initiative aligns with Tarkett's aim of reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. The company is moving to a circular economy business model to reduce waste and preserve resources. Old flooring is turned into new materials. Tarkett's vice president of sustainability Roxanne Spears said:

"From this moment forward, we'll never aim for anything less than zero waste."

In North America, Tarkett recycled 1.5 million pounds of used flooring in 2023. The company hopes to double that total in 2024 through its partnership with Mycocyle and other strategies.

Tarkett vinyl flooring in North Wales and Chester commercial buildings is a quality, hardwearing floor product available in a variety of colours and patterns.

After many years of use, worn Tarkett flooring can be recycled by the company's ReStart scheme which repurposes the material. They will even take back any type of flooring made by Tarkett's competitors. The scheme supports the Paris Climate Agreement that aims to limit global warming by 1.5 degrees.

Mycocyle is a biotech start-up that uses natural fungi to reduce industrial waste by transforming it into new materials.

How free carpets help relieve fuel poverty

Councillors from Levenmouth in Fife have agreed to provide tenants and homeowners with free carpets as part of the fuel poverty assistance program.

The council has given £30,000 to Cosy Kingdom, a Fife energy and debt advice service, to supply carpets and underlay. Up to 30 houses will benefit from the free carpets. The scheme recognises that relieving fuel poverty is not just achieved through assistance in paying energy bills. Quality carpets and underlay provide insulation to keep homes warmer using less energy. Council officers said that the carpet grants recognise the thermal capacity advantages that carpets provide.

A report by a Levenmouth council committee said that new carpets improve the quality of life for residents by keeping them warmer in Winter.

According to a report in 2023 by the homeless charity Big Issue, only 2% of social housing properties in the UK are let as furnished or part furnished with flooring already installed. The charity wants an end to furniture poverty, which they define as a lack of access to essential household items including furniture, appliances, bedding and carpets.

Some UK councils have welfare assistance schemes that provide grants towards carpets. In Wales, discretionary payments are available for those in need but there are strict conditions on who is eligible for them.

Every carpet retailer in North Wales sells good quality carpets at budget prices. Buying carpets is a good investment if they reduce energy bills. If the carpet lasts many years, it could pay for itself in fuel savings.