What goes around comes around

Helen Rowberry, national sales manager for underlay at Carpenter, explains how new underlay recycling schemes like Carpenter’s are transforming the way we think about every part of flooring.

At a time when the ‘make do and mend’ mantra has never been so current, Carpenter has stepped up to the plate by introducing its underlay recycling scheme to the UK. At Carpenter’s USA division between 50,000 and 100,000 tonnes of uplifted polyurethane (PU) underlay is annually recycled, and the company plans to follow suit in the UK.

Established less than seven years ago, Carpenter Underlay now offers 11 ranges to support the industry’s growing desire for PU ranges and consumers’ wish to purchase more environmentally friendly products.


To complement the business’ environmental initiatives, Carpenter launched a UK first with an underlay recycling scheme last summer, which was the brainchild of Helen Rowberry – national sales manager for underlay at Carpenter.

The scheme works by providing Carpenter wholesale recycling volunteers with wheelie bins, which are specifically for PU offcuts and uplifts. The wholesaler is then encouraged to provide fitters with recycling bags – these are provided by Carpenter to be filled with its product. The wheelie bins are then collected and returned to base to be reused again to make more products.

At a time when all businesses are looking to trim down on unnecessary expenditure, the company is providing a service that is really useful and encourages fitters to get rid of waste in a responsible manner.

The costs of disposal and shrinking availability at landfill sites triggered the recycling idea into a reality. There are so many benefits to the scheme – no hassle as to where to dispose the offcuts, cost savings on skips and more importantly landfill, which has soared from £64 per tonne last year to £72 in 2013 with a further rise due in 2014 to £80 per tonne. The long-term cost savings and efficiency, which will be achieved in the supply chain, are of great advantage too.

Said Helen Rowberry: “The scheme is great for those looking to make savings on landfill costs and who want to embrace a more environmental culture within their business.

“Like most schemes that involve a new way of thinking it was important to change people’s perceptions and encourage them to put more thought into being environmentally aware. It is faster to just throw away rubbish – but by taking a little bit of time to recycle underlay, businesses are going to save vital funds and raise their credentials, ultimately giving them the edge over their competitors.”

Since the launch in 2012, the scheme has grown considerably and now operates in 22 regions including Scotland. The underlay recycling scheme is not the only recycling initiative – the company’s Fireseal division collects used Fireseal mattresses from public prisons, which are then converted into underlay. This is expected to save the prison service more than £5 million over five years in disposal costs.

Carpenter already operates a number of environmentally friendly initiatives within its worldwide network. All its underlay is produced using recyclable material and is backed with high performance polyurethane, which aids recycling more effectively than paper backing. Annually, Carpenter recycles polythene, paper, cardboard, used polypropylene bulk bags, wooden pallets as well as incoming steel and plastic drums.

Said Helen: “Our recycling scheme only collects Carpenter underlay. This is purely so that we have chemical traceability, which we wouldn’t have with someone else’s product.

“Our clients love the idea that they are contributing to the environmental movement. From a business point of view, cooperating and being seen to take an interest in recycling or anything that is of benefit to the environment is going to be beneficial to a company.”

Recycling plays a significant role across Carpenter’s business with all its bonded foam products being made from recycled offcuts. The company is also a member of Envirolink’s Buy Recycled Code, sourcing recycled materials wherever possible, which complements the underlay recycling scheme. As one of the world’s largest underlay manufacturers, the scheme is indicative of Carpenter’s determination to stay at the forefront of new initiatives and product development.

Feature extract The Flooring Magazine March 2013 | A range of discount underlays are available at www.remlandcarpets.co.uk | Tel 01303 253399


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