Reduce, reuse, recylce and sustainability are no longer the buzz words. They are our present need and hold key to a better future. One company is trying to ensure that we live in a world that is cleaner by recycling plastic and making carpets out of it. SHALINI SAKSENA brings you a report

An alarming research came to light a couple of weeks back. Plastic waste from the COVID-19 weighing 25,900 tonnes, equivalent to more than 2,000 double decker buses, has leaked into the ocean. But what is even worse is that it doesn’t end here. At the COP26, there were six facts linking the plastic lifecycle to climate change that must be taken into account. The most immediate being that South Asia is one of the largest generators of plastic waste; the region discards more than 26 million tons of plastics every day!

This means that there is immediate need for action and reduce, reuse and recycle is the only way forward. Hence, the under the present situation, the success of any business is dependent on its sustainable development factor. In other words resource conservation protecting the environment is the need of the hour. Manufacturers and producers have to give importance to the sustainability factor while supplying products and services.

One such company that is trying its best to follow eco-friendly model is Carpets Inter. The company that originally started doing business in the 1950s is today recycling plastic to make carpets. From manufacturing all kinds of carpets in 1974 to relocating to Thailand in 2004 and getting acquired in 2017, the company is known for its customisation and innovation.

Richard Morris, global business director, Carpets Inter tells you that since their factory in the green field zone, they have had to be very environmentally conscious from the very beginning.

“Back in the 1990s also, we had adopted measures that were environment friendly. By the 2000s we had started suing recycled material to manufacture our carpets. Over the years, recycling and sustainability has been a  necessity because of the land where we are which has today become a residential area. This means that the factory has to be self-contained and that no waste goes into the landfill. We recycle our water through catchment area. All the wastage is also treated,” Morris says.

The shift to sustainable manufacturing has not been as easy task. To run initiative one has to run for long period of time and learn along the way, Morris tells you.

“When it comes to conformity, there is a lot of investment. We are in a commodity-driven market. This means that we have had to keep the prices low. What has happened over the years is that several leading brands have raised their benchmark when it comes to conformity. Ten years back carbon foot print was not a term that was being used. It was all about recycle and reuse. This means that one has to look for recycling material and make a product.

As we started recycling plastic bottles to make carpets, the question staring at us was what happens to the carpets once they are past their shelf life? There is a challenge here. Thailand doesn’t allow entry of refuse from another country. We have therefore had to look for ways to repurpose and recycle the product in the countries where we export. The good part is that within the country, we have been able to take back not only our product but our competitors and recycle it to make clean energy,” Morris explains.

To manufacture one square metre of carpet, the company uses 55 reused 500 ml plastic bottles. These are either sources from within Thailand or China. To make plastic carpets, the used plastic bottles are melted in a machine. It is then reverted into the pellet form. From the pellets, thin strands like a fishing line is made which is then cut up. This is then needle-punched into a fine felt. This is then lamented onto the carpets forming the base. The recycle plastic is the entire packing system that forms the entire layer under the modular carpet.

“What we using to manufacture the carpet itself are carbon-neutral nylons. We don’t manufacture this nylon but source it from very large companies that are themselves recycling plastic like fishing nets. They use the similar process that we do and make filament and spin it into carbon-neutral fibres,” Morris tells you.

There are several benefits of using such carpets. First, they increase the life of the product. Usually, modular carpets come with hard packing because it is cheaper to use it. Today, the idea is to look for packing made from recycled material. The tile is going to be impacted by the foot fall and whatever is placed on top of the modular carpet. But if there is a cushioning, the underfoot impact is absorbed by what is underneath increasing the  longevity. The cushion packing has other advantages as well. There is cost-saving benefits — from the installation firm to the investor to the manufacturer. There is benefit at the users’ end too.

Second, the felt acts as a thermal barrier. It can withstand very high to low temperatures. In other words, if you live in a hot region it will help to keep the room cooler reducing depending on the air conditioning. In cold climate, it prevents the heat from escaping keeping the room warm. Not only does it reduce the electricity bill but one is also reducing carbon foot print.

The felt also takes care of the accoustics. There are several organisations that are looking to reduce noise pollution. The eco-soft material acts as an accoutic barrier. It will increase the noise reduction by 150 per cent.

“A typical tile is 50x50 cm or 25cmx1m tiles. But we can customise it and manufacture up to 2 metre sq tiles that are 20 cm long. They are rolls of modular tiles. Hence there are several benfits of using ourproduct,” Morris says.

In India, the company has its presence is in Gurugram. The focus here is to cater to the hotel and hospitality industry and MNCs. The good part is that the prices are competitive since there are several companies already in the industry.

“While we are aware that our product is expensive, the advantages that our modular carpet has outweigh the slight increase in the price. Our carpets are also aesthetically pleasing and colourful which gives us an edge. Till now we have sold carpets that would fit 25-30 buildings from top to bottom and we are growing steadilty in the market,” Morris says.

For now, the company is concentrating only on the commercial side of business in India. “Unfortunately, there is no demand at the retail level in the country. This is because of the saturation and hand-knotted carpets have been in the country for centuring. In the retail sector, the company is working through distributors in countries like Australia.