Carpet Disposal And Recycling

When laying a new carpet, unless it’s a new build, you’ve most likely got to decide how to get rid of the old one.

In addition to the carpet, you’ll likely have gripper rods, underlay, and new carpet offcuts. If it’s part of a larger work project, you may have a host of mixed waste or household junk that you need to throw out.

Fortunately, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to carpet disposal. But that means you might be unsure of your best option.

Our carpet disposal guide will walk you through all the options, so you’ll know what’s right for you.

Sell, give it away, or repurpose your old carpet

If the carpet is still in good condition, you can ask friends and family if they have any use for it. For example, if you had a large floor area covered and, in turn, a large surface area of carpet, it could be cut down to fit a smaller floor space.

If you don’t mind storing it for a few weeks, you can put it on the Facebook marketplace or gumtree to see if anyone is interested in taking your old carpets away.

Do carpet fitters remove old carpet?

It depends on the carpet fitter or retailer you’re using. Sometimes, a carpet company will have in-house fitters, but other times they’ll outsource it.

For the fitters to take it away, they’ll need a waste carrier’s license. So please do your due diligence and make sure they’ve got one.

Some fitters offer uplift and disposal of old carpets and flooring. However, other companies may not be able to get rid of it for you, so it’s always worth checking with the retailers or fitter and confirming if they can take it and at what cost.

Can you reuse/repurpose the carpet?

Even if the carpet isn’t in excellent condition, it still has its uses. You could use it to kneel on when working around the garden, donate it to a local animal shelter, or if you’re the creative type, you can check out these 20 brilliant carpet repurposing ideas. You’ll even be able to use some of the new carpet off cuts.

Can I take carpet to the tip?

It depends on the tip, but most of them will dispose of your old carpet. A rubbish tip can be one of the most cost-effective ways to get rid of old carpets and waste, but you’ll need to contact the tip first.

You may need to book a time or pay a fee. If you’re unsure what you need to do, it’s worth checking your local tips website for details.

You will also need to get the carpet there. You could cut it up if you don’t have much of it, but you may need to arrange transport.

The local council

Local councils offer bulky waste collections. However, this isn’t available to businesses, only to residential customers.

You’ll need to contact your local council to see what they offer as part of the service. For example, some local councils will take your old carpets but others won’t.

Can you burn carpet to dispose of it?

While some carpets will use natural materials, most are made from synthetic fibres such as nylon, polypropylene, or polyester.

These are plastics; when plastics are burned, theyrelease a range of harmful compounds and toxic gases like Dioxins, Furans, Mercury, and Polychlorinated Biphenyls into the environment.

Because burning carpets release these toxic gases, you should never burn them and get them disposed of by a licensed professional, or better yet, take them to a recycling centre.

Can you dispose of your old carpet in a landfill?

Britain produces over 400,000 tonnes of carpet waste every year, enough to carpet an area the size of Birmingham.

Old carpets and other rubbish can be disposed of in a landfill. However, it’s always best to find a more environmentally friendly method.

Can you recycle old carpet?

Yes, not only can you recycle carpets, it’s something you should prioritise given the amount of waste that’s generated.

If you’re disposing of it yourself, contact your local recycling centre to see how they process it before going.

It’s not just carpet that can be recycled either. Other types of flooring, underlay, and even grip rods too.

The old carpet can be turned into new carpet or carpet tiles, used for recovered fuels and energy recovery
Recycled carpet is even used to create equestrian surfacing providing the waste meets the Environment Agency guidelines.

If you’re not disposing of it yourself, check with the company or service you hired to see how they process it following collection.

Can you put carpet in a skip?

Skip hire is an excellent option if you have a large amount of carpet or additional rubbish you need to get rid of.

You can hire a skip, have it delivered, and fill it up with your old carpet and any other waste in your own time.

At Norris, we separate your waste when we get it back on site. We recycle as much waste as possible, including your old carpet. As a result, we divert 99% of the waste we collect away from landfills.

If you want to find out what we do once we get it back on site, check out our where waste goes page for more info.

Man and Van hire

If you’ve got a lot of old carpet or waste to dispose of but nowhere to put a skip, a man and van or cage truck could be a perfect choice.

A local driver will turn up with a partner and help load all the rubbish onto the truck for you. All you need to do is make sure it’s easily accessible, and we’ll take care of the rest for you.

You should have a good understanding of how to dispose of your old carpet now. Whilst there are many options, we do encourage recycling. Finding a disposal method or service that will take care of the recycling for you shouldn’t cost any extra. It’s just a case of taking the time to find the right company.