Flooring blues……
Did you know that in the UK you may have to pay to dispose of your old flooring? If you are having a new floor fitted, the contractors will either ask you to dispose of the existing floor yourself or charge you extra – as there is a business waste charge now being applied. What does this mean for your old floor tiles, carpet, lino, laminate and other floor coverings? Well it could be good news for landfill sites, as less people will be inclined to throw away their old flooring if they have to do it themselves. Most types of flooring are heavy with synthetic materials that do not biodegrade and contain chemical additives that contaminate the land, air and water – all hazardous to your health. Divert synthetic flooring from landfill and…..
Renovate!
- Avoid throwing old flooring out – if you can cover it with new flooring.
- Be creative e.g. repair, resurface and refinish your flooring
Reuse!
- List your old flooring on a recycling website – someone else may have a use for it.
- Reinvent the purpose e.g. vinyl surfaces for workshops, timber shelving in the garage, old carpet for insulation, carpet used in the earth to control weeds
Recycle!
- Carpet recycling is not wide spread in Ireland or UK as yet, with facilities just for large companies. Carpet recycling is a difficult and energy intensive process though – as the components have to be separated.
- Vinyl floor and laminate are near impossible to recycle.
- Solid wood flooring can be sanded and used again and again – top choice.
Related posts:
- Upcycled Carpet Samples
- Beat those recession blues – go green!
- Eco Bathrooms – Part 8
- Non Toxic Nurseries
- Less recycling please!
[...] Mass Produced Flooring Worries [...]