FOI Request - Disposal of Carpets and Other Textile Floorings

Request 101003573514

I am writing on behalf of a client, who is requesting information regarding the disposal of carpet waste and other textile flooring materials by authorities across the UK. We understand that in some areas of the UK collection and disposal responsibilities are shared depending on how the council(s) is structured. If the question should be directed to a higher/lower tier authority, please indicate who this would be in lieu of an answer.

Please see questions below (please mark multiple choice answers by typing - highlighting text is not visible via the WDTK request platform).

1.  How many Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) do you operate in total and out of these how many accept carpets and other textile flooring materials (underlay, rugs, mats, covers) from:

Please provide a number for each option:
a)  Residents only
b)  Commercial operators only
c)  Residents and commercial operators

2.  How are carpets and other textile flooring materials managed and stored at HWRCs?

Please select one option:
a)  In a separate sheltered container
b)  In a separate un-sheltered container
c)  Mixed in with mattresses and other bulky household waste
d)  Mixed in with residual and black bag waste

3.  How are carpets and other textile flooring materials disposed of from HWRCs?
Please select one option:
a)  Sent for recycling
b)  Sent for landfill
c)  Sent for incineration for energy recovery (please specify type - RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) or SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel))

4.  Do you provide residents with a bulky household waste collection service, and does this service accept carpets and other textile flooring materials?

Please answer yes or no

5.  How are carpets and other textile flooring materials collected via the bulky household waste service disposed of?
Please select one option:

a)  Sent for recycling
b)  Sent for landfill
c)  Sent for incineration for energy recovery (please specify type - RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) or SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel))

6.  Do you collect, record and report data and information on carpets and other textile flooring materials collected at both HWRCs and via the bulky household waste service?
Please specify yes or no for each service

7.  If yes, is this data and information broken down by material type and recorded using the government database WasteDataFlow?
Please answer yes, no or not applicable

8.  Does your authority have plans to revise how carpets and other textile flooring materials are collected, stored and/or disposed of in the next 12 months?
Please answer yes or no

9.  If yes, please give details about how you plan to revise these processes.

10.  What are your authorities’ biggest challenges in accepting and processing carpets and other textile flooring materials?
Please select from the list below

a)  Storage space and bulky nature of materials
b)  Limited recycling and disposal options
c)  Cost of processing these materials
d)  All the above

11.  Where possible, please provide URLs for pages on your website which provide relevant information about HWRCs, a bulky household waste collection service and/or any other resources relating to the disposal of carpets and other textile flooring materials.

Response 13-06-2024

1. 5

a) 5 

b) Nil - no commercial operators are allowed to use HWRCs

c) Nil

2. - c) Mixed in with residual and black bag waste.

3. - c) Sent for incineration for energy recovery, no pre-treatment.

4. Yes

5. - c) Sent for incineration for energy recovery, no pre-treatment.

6. No for both.

7. Not applicable

8. No

9. Not applicable

10. - d) All of the above

11. Recycling Guide: http://www.moray.gov.uk/downloads/file120638.pdf