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Joe Eccleston is CEO of Innovate Recycle Ltd., a leading recycler of polypropylene carpet in the UK. He shares his experience and vision for carpet recycling now and in years to come; see full interview on the CARE website.
What does Innovate Recycle do?
We are the first to market in the UK/Europe to recycle end-of-life polypropylene carpet into pellets, which are then incorporated into products used in sectors such as automotive, horticulture and construction, making interior car parts, paint trays, plant pots and other injection molded items.
We work with some 50 collector partners and take daily delivery; there is no charge for delivered material. The Innovate Recycle process reclaims polypropylene fiber, which provides exceptional qualities of purity, strength and recyclability and an end-of-line product that can be repurposed to manufacture components across a wide range of industries. Our process also reclaims calcium carbonate for reuse in the cement, soundproofing, and plastic industries, as well as potentially going back to the carpet industry.
Why polypropylene?
The UK has a huge focus on polypropylene carpet; with both the face and backing fiber the same, Innovate Recycle has made this a particular part of the long-term solution due to its consistent fiber material design for a uniform processable/recyclable carpet. With polypropylene being a versatile and widely consumed global plastic, sales outlets don’t become oversaturated or restricted. Following this type of design could offer a united approach to carpet recycling here and across the globe.
Our long-range vision is for there to be a single, mono-fiber design for broadloom carpet. If all mills could focus on producing single DNA polymer carpet – then fiber and backing from all mills could undergo the same recycling transformation regardless of its country of origin.
What inspired you on this journey?
Innovate Recycle would not exist if weren’t for CARE. CARE’s 25 years of work has paved the way, allowing us to take their learnings and evolve them to benefit all sides. CARE has huge influence in the marketplace–their experience, education efforts and investment in technology have been integral to our development.
Where do you envision Innovate Recycle in three years?
We are concentrating on building the central team and fundraising now to build on our success. We currently have the capacity to process 44 million pounds of carpet per year at our Northampton site. We are working towards $68-135 million infrastructure fundraise to roll out three plants capable of each processing 88 million pounds of carpet per year, along with a dedicated pelletizing center. We’re looking to grow to eight plants across the UK, then to explore other opportunities in Europe, Turkey and beyond.
Read more of the interview on the CARE website.
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