Designer Contracts has been named ‘Take Back Partner of the Year’ by Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) for the second time at the annual awards and conference held at Leicester City Football Club.
Graham Kempton, Designer Contracts’ logistics director was also honoured with the Recycling Champion of the Year award, for an individual who has gone the extra mile to ensure as much carpet as possible is recycled at their organisation.
Laurance Bird, director of Carpet Recycling UK said: “We are really pleased with all the hard work Designer Contracts has put into its recycling scheme and the results speak for themselves. The company deserves the two awards of Take Back Partner of the Year and Recycling Champion.”
The company initially trialled a recycling scheme, spearheaded by Louise Abbott, Designer Contracts’ merchandise and marketing manager, in conjunction with CRUK, at its central region based in Chesterfield before rolling it out to all 12 of Designer Contracts’ regional offices.
The scheme works by diverting 90% of its fitters’ unfitted carpet into felt underlay. What isn’t turned into underlay is used in the equestrian sector for arena flooring. This innovative scheme has already diverted approximately 150 tonnes of fitters’ waste carpet from landfill in the last six months.
Said Louise: “We’re delighted to have been recognised, once again, for our recycling scheme and were pitted against some tough competition. We’re helping the environment by transforming our waste into a sustainable solution and from the customers’ point of view, dealing with a contractor or manufacturer that recycles materials is increasingly beneficial.”
Fitters are supplied with a builder’s bag to fill with unfitted carpet to drop off at their nearest Designer Contracts regional depot. It is then taken to an approved recycling facility before being transformed into felt underlay. Any waste created is removed from site and recycled wherever possible. Designer Contracts does not use customers’ skips.
L-R Oliver Heath, architect and sustainable designer presenting award to Graham Kempton, Designer Contracts, logistics director.