Hi,

 I have a waste removal business, based in west yorkshire, and we have do quite a bit of business with carpet shops - we take away the old carpets that they remove after they have laid the new one.

I have heard that some farmers use used them for covering/holding down the sileage in the sileage pits, as opposed to tyres and plastic sheeting. Is this correct? And if so would anyone be interested in free delivery of some free old carpets in either west or south yorkshire?

If anyone has any other suggestions for how I may dispose of them please let me know as at present we have to send them to landfill and this is very expensive, not to mention, bad for the environment. My company is called wetakeanywaste.com and you can contact me directly on 07786523187. Alternatively reply to this thread or send me an email via the contact form on the website.

Any feedback much appreciated,

Thanks

 James

Hi jjs11, We use carpets as insulation on water pipes, but they don't weather very well outside. They tend to crumble up into little pieces. But it might just be the type we use.

I'll run the tape over the front room because herself is on for doing a makeover. I think she mentioned an Oxblood leather suite, would you have any off cuts to go with that (in wool)? I'll get back to you with measurements.

Just for those 'thinking' about the offer. Carpets are essentially made by adding 'Pile' to a backing material and so can be looked at as having two layers plus, in the case of foam backed carpets, a cushion layer.

The Pile can comprise mixtures of Wool, Nylon, Polyester and Acryrilic, and tuft height will usually  vary in depth from about 4mm to 24mm. The backing can be mainly a mixture of Jute, Sizal and Polypropylene. The substrate foam will typically be between 40 -  90% chalk. An old carpet is unlikely to have any residual chemical fibre coatings from the manufacturing processes, and any chemical dyestuffs will be inert.

As to the use of old carpet. It will have a covering value for a time until the fibres comprising it decay.

I do like the idea of re-cycling but wonder whether, in addition to being used as a covering, they could also used as a lining for some sub earth activities where manure needs to be buried at a depth.

 jjs, just by coincidence I was attending Ecobuild this week supporting a client and took an interest in the talk about uses for old carpet.

Here is the link, I am sure you probably know all about this but 500,000 tonnes a year in the UK is a lot of old rug!.

Can you sort your supplies of old carpet into natural and man made at least even if the backing is a blend? What sort of tonnages would you be looking at of each main group?

The soil stabilisation idea was very good and mimics my own experience of using redundant natural fibre carpets as a mulching blanket in the garden.

Please excuse the missing link...

 http://www.ecobuild.co.uk/uploads/carpet-recycling-uk-programme.pdf

They are good for wrapping around the top of a Ritchie Traileyre to stop the strings rubbing through on the steel! I put a new bit on each year, but I don't think that'll make much of a dent in that kind of volumes!!

 Hi mate,

 Thanks for getting back to me. To be honest the carpets are generally in a condition that would negate direct re-use, i.e. being re-used as a carpet elsewhere but I'll keep my eyes peeled!

 I will look into your suggestion for re-use as insulation.

 Thanks

 James

 Hi Peter Wells,

You mention:

Peter Wells:

being used as a covering, they could also used as a lining for some sub earth activities where manure needs to be buried at a depth.

Sorry if I'm being slow but what is covering? Also  are you suggesting that it could be buried and used to seperate layers of manure?

Thanks for the input!

James

 Hi the greenth

We only get through 2 - 4 tonnes a month at present but we are a new business and only started marketing to carpet businesses this week. The response has been pretty positive as we are cheaper than skip hire which is what most of them currently use so we expect to be doing more in the future.

We could definately sort the supplies.

I look forward to your response!

Thanks

James

 Hi bovril,

Is a Ritchies Traileyre a baler?

Thanks

 James

jjs11:

Sorry if I'm being slow but what is covering? Also  are you suggesting that it could be buried and used to seperate layers of manure?

James. I used the word 'covering' as in overlaying carpet on the top of items.

As to burying it. There are occasions such as when laying asparagus beds when, (dependant on sub soil composition) a bottom layer of something to form a porous base on which muck can be laid, can be useful.  I can also forsee a use when ditching (old style) or drainage purposes.

As to whom to approach, horticultural growers might be a target 'market' for you.