Each year, about 90,000 tonnes of carpet waste and 1 million tonnes of soft plastics are sent to landfills in Australia and New Zealand.
Commercial flooring company Milliken has partnered with Saveboard to launch a recycled carpet-based flooring it calls Renasci. Other components, including soft plastics, are sourced from waste that can be repeatedly recycled.
According to the company (watch the YouTube video below), the final products are chemical-free with non-chemical adhesives that undergo a recycling treatment.
At the very beginning, the recycled ingredients, including carpet and soft plastics, will be shredded and bound together in a mixer. Then, the ingredient will be layered and flattened on an automatic roller, wrapped in baking paper, and then undergo a hot press procedure. It will be solidified with a cold press. Finally, the bulk board will be cut into the measured planks as the final product.
“With Renasci, we’re giving waste a second life and the industry a new path forward,” said Shaneel Deo, MD of Milliken.
The company says that the outcome will offer a resilient and low-carbon alternative to traditional vinyl and hard flooring.
