Forbo’s Back to the Floor scheme offers true closed-loop recycling

Now in its third year, Forbo Flooring’s Back to the Floor take back scheme offers a genuine closed-loop recycling solution for Forbo flooring installation off-cuts. Rising volumes of material that go back into new products are contributing to the transition towards a Circular Economy in the flooring sector.

The scheme has expanded greatly in its second year with the volume of flooring off-cuts collected rising to three times the amount collected in 2013. Back to the Floor Scheme Co-ordinator, Michelle Brewer said: “With more collectors coming on board amid growing awareness of how the scheme can assist flooring professionals with their recycling activities, we have seen tonnages increase dramatically in the past 12 months.”

Forbo off-cuts, as well as cushioned vinyl flooring off-cuts from most manufacturers, are collected across the UK and recycled back into new flooring products across the company’s portfolio.

The scheme offers both environmental and economic benefits for participants through diversion of waste material from landfill and preservation of raw material resources for use in new products.

Flooring contractors can benefit from savings on disposal costs versus sending their waste flooring material to landfill.

Dennis Perham, Carpet Manager at Fitwell Flooring has recently installed a collection bin accepting cushioned flooring off-cuts at their premises in Redruth, Cornwall. He said: “I think the scheme is excellent and the ability to accept cushioned vinyl is very helpful. It is a facility we are actively promoting to our customers.”

As an established BTTF collector, Oxbridge Carpets Ltd has already sent back six collections of two bulk bags since signing up to the scheme over a year ago.

“Without a doubt it has saved us on disposal costs,” commented John Webb, Oxbridge’s Warehouse Manager. “It’s important to recycle where we can, so we see the scheme as a positive thing. All our fitters are given polythene bags for the off-cuts which are then bulked up at our site prior to collection.”

The firm has also returned old Marmoleum stock for recycling, again saving money on its disposal while ensuring the material goes back into new products.

All Back to the Floor scheme members are provided with colour-coded polythene bags and bulk bags free of charge, which are collected directly from site or a contractor’s premises.

Forbo has invested significantly in the recycling processes at three of its UK sites where material is recycled back into new products. Tessera off-cuts are processed at the Bamber Bridge plant near Preston, while the Flotex and vinyl flooring goes back into flooring at the Ripley site.

At Forbo’s plant in Kirkcaldy, Marmoleum off-cuts are shredded into very fine pieces that are used in new Marmoleum production.

Marmoleum is made from 97% natural materials, 72% of which are renewable and will grow back within 10 years. It is made with 43% recycled content to reduce the need for virgin raw material.