Sign-up…

Please send me SCA's fortnightly briefing:

July 12, 2007

Launchpad undertake carpet recycling service

Launchpad Training & Enterpriseā€™s new carpet recycling service Launchpad House & Home has begun accepting donations of carpets and floor tiles.

Per Fischer

Launchpad undertake carpet recycling service

Per Fischer
Community Recyclying Network Scotland
02.07.07



Launchpad Training & Enterprise’s new carpet recycling service Launchpad House & Home has begun accepting donations of carpets and floor tiles.


The company has successfully negotiated a Service Level Agreement with Perth & Kinross Council, and, via funding from the Scottish Executive Strategic Waste Fund, will now offer free uplift for donations of unwanted carpet and floor tiles.


Launchpad Chairman, Ivan Carnegie, said: “Until now the obvious option to people discarding unwanted carpet and carpet tiles was the skip. As a social enterprise, which focuses on delivering tangible community benefits, Launchpad recognised that we were ideally placed to increase our service portfolio to offer a viable, free alternative to the landfill or incineration of such waste.


“Where possible, donated carpet will be cleaned and refurbished for reuse or recycled for alternative good use. In so doing, we can offer our volunteers employability training and refurbished carpet will be for sale to people on low incomes in accordance with our charity guidelines.”


Convener of Perth & Kinross Council Environment Committee, Councillor Alan Grant, said: “The Council is delighted to enter into agreement with Launchpad to provide this innovative recycling service and so increase the opportunities we have available to meet key landfill targets.”


Carpet wastage is just one of a number of factors that can contribute to harming the environment. As buildings are renovated and home interiors updated, carpets and carpet tiles are dumped in landfill sites and skips. Nationally, carpet waste accounts for an estimated 4% of all land filled waste. Although as a percentage this may not seem much, carpet has a high volume to weight and, and carpeting containing nylon for example can take up to 40 years to bio degrade.


Launchpad Training & Enterprise is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status operating throughout the Perth and Kinross area. It operates as a social enterprise and recycles a variety of products including furniture, household electrical goods, sports equipment and nursery items. It provides vocational training and supported employment to disabled adults, particularly those suffering from severe and enduring mental illness. Ongoing projects also include: Perth House & Home; Re-Cycles bike service and the Launchpad SQA Accredited Training Centre.


Launchpad Training & Enterprise (Perth Furniture Project)
Unit 5/6
14, Dunkeld Road
Perth
PH1 5RW


Tel: 01738 628268
email: enquiries@launchpadtraining.org
web: http://www.launchpadtraining.org/


Source: CRNS, http://www.crns.org.uk