How recycled carpet tiles are helping social housing tenants

People who move into social housing often find that the homes do not have carpets except in the kitchen and bathroom, and they may not afford to buy carpets. To solve this issue in Wiltshire, a partnership between the Salvation Army, Kennet Furniture Refurbiz (KFR) and the local council is recycling carpet tiles and giving them to tenants.

Most of the tiles come from offices that don't need them anymore. After large office refurbishment projects, there are often excess new carpet tiles left over. Generally, these carpet tiles are regarded as waste and thrown away, even though they may be in reasonable condition and suitable for residential property use.

One tenant, a single father, reported that when he moved into a bare-floor home, his son had a splinter in his foot from walking on bare floorboards. After the donated carpet tiles were installed, it made the home safe for his son. Carpet tiles are easy to lay, and many tenants do it themselves to save installation costs.

As well being a cost-effective option, the benefits of using carpet tiles include their easy installation and versatility in a range of different settings within a home or business. Even better, carpet tiles are regarded as a low-maintenance flooring option.

Carpet tiles in North Wales can be recycled. In fact, tiles are easier to recycle than carpets themselves as the materials are easier to recover materials. Around 870 tonnes of carpets are recycled every year in Wales.