How to Resolve the Biggest Design Flaw in Carpets

There is a massive design flaw in carpets: waste. 

More than 4 billion pounds of carpet ends up in U.S. landfills every year, and 1.6 million tons in European landfills. One of the biggest reasons so much carpet becomes waste is due to the way it’s been designed. When several different ingredients are blended into the carpet – like nylon and polyester fibers – with no way to be separated from each other, it’s nearly impossible to recycle the material.

We can resolve this design flaw by designing carpets with the end in mind.

The Issue: High Turnover Rate of Carpets in Commercial Industries

Carpet is used in so many different types of rooms and buildings to provide a warm, colorful, comfortable or luxurious addition to the space. While carpet does eventually wear down and needs to be replaced, there is a massive difference between the resulting waste in a family home that’s tearing out carpet and a hotel or cruise ship.

There is a big turnover rate with carpets in commercial structures, especially those in the hospitality and travel industries, producing a lot of waste. Carpets are meant to last up to 15 years with good cleanings, but most commercial spaces often replace theirs every two to four years. When we think of renovating a hotel or refurbishing the interior of a cruise ship and consider the amount of carpet that is removed and sent to landfills or incineration, one cannot help but shudder. The environmental impact is enormous. 

“Carpets are meant to last up to 15 years with good cleanings, but most commercial spaces often replace theirs every two to four years.”

The Opportunity: Support Market Demand for Circular Carpets

There is an opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of carpet waste while also supporting the sustainability goals of these hospitality businesses by designing circular carpets. Circular carpets, or carpets designed to be separated, recycled and regenerated at their end of life, are growing in demand. Carpet designers and manufacturers have an opportunity to stand out in the market by meeting this demand.

Some of the benefits of designing circular carpets are:

• Market differentiation. In a highly competitive market, offering circular rugs or carpets can help manufacturers and suppliers stand out with a unique and needed product. 
• Getting ahead of the curve. As more policies are passed – in the EU, U.S. and other countries – that hold architects and designers accountable to embodied carbon and other environmental goals, it’s important to start embracing circular design now rather than get left behind. 
• Supporting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals. Many companies and organizations place great emphasis on CSR efforts, including sustainable choices in their operations and procurement. They are looking for products that help them achieve these goals. 
• Collaboration and customization. Creating circular carpets offers the opportunity to collaborate with artists, designers and architects who are concerned about the environment and sustainability.

The Solution: Design Carpets with the End in Mind

To resolve the design flaw of waste and meet the market demand for sustainable products, we can design circular carpets that can be easily disassembled, separated, recycled and regenerated into new carpets. 

Aquafil has been working toward this solution by investing in the research and development of circular carpets. We call this the “Born Regenerated to be Regenerable” initiative. The goal of the Born R2R initiative is to work closely with carpet manufacturers to produce carpets that can be fully disassembled with materials and fibers that are compatible with the ECONYL® regeneration system. In this way, the parts of the carpet originally made from ECONYL® regenerated nylon are recovered at the end of their life and recycled by Aquafil into new ECONYL® fibers.

Circular carpets from the Born R2R initiative are designed around the concepts of the circular economy, where products are reused, repurposed and recycled at the end of their useful life instead of ending up in a landfill or being incinerated. Through the eco-design of carpets, we can eliminate waste from the design process and instead make it a resource for the continued creation of new carpets. 

“The goal of the Born R2R initiative is to work closely with carpet manufacturers to produce carpets that can be fully disassembled with materials and fibers that are compatible with the ECONYL® regeneration system.”

The Impact: Closing the Loop on Carpet Design

Eco-design is critical if we ever hope to close the loop on design. By incorporating circular carpets into interior design, designers are promoting sustainability, reducing the environmental impact of their projects and helping close the loop on carpet design. Additionally, circular carpets also meet the growing market demand for sustainable solutions and the growing global awareness of the need to minimize waste and conserve resources.

Together, we can reimagine the design of carpets and make a positive impact on the environment.

Author: Cristina Stefani, BCF Marketing & Business Development