Floorcovering Suppliers Back Waste Recovery Scheme

Fifteen leading suppliers of resilient floorcoverings to the Australian market have committed to supporting ResiLoop, Australia’s first national stewardship scheme for resilient flooring.

GALLERY  

ResiLoop is a new product stewardship scheme focused on recycling research and development to address the challenges presented by past, current and future consumption of resilient floorcoverings in Australia.

ResiLoop was initiated by the Australian Resilient Flooring Association (ARFA) in 2022 with funding from the Australian Government. A proposed approach was released in May 2023 to start addressing the 60,000 tonnes of flooring waste generated annually from installation and end of use.

Resilient floorcoverings such as sheet vinyl, linoleum or rubber, luxury vinyl tiles and hybrid tiles, are durable products with use lifespans of 30 years or so. The market for these products has grown significantly over the past decade, largely through imports.

With a target start date of late 2024, the key to implementing the scheme is confirming local end markets for the recyclate. ARFA sought industry investment to continue ResiLoop’s research and manufacturing trials and to begin the preparation for scheme start-up.

ARFA president Dan Lovell says that all of the Association’s members represent 60% of market sales nationally.

“We really appreciate the commitment from these companies, the willingness to step up and make this investment to help drive a circular future for floorcoverings in Australia,” Dan says.

“These companies become the Founding Members of ResiLoop Limited, the product stewardship organisation that will manage the scheme.”

ResiLoop Limited has now been incorporated as a not-for-profit product stewardship organisation.

As the inaugural chair of the organisation, Forbo Floorcoverings managing director Chris Barker, explains the scheme’s next steps, citing the support of industry as the key to success.

“ResiLoop is now in the transition phase, where it moves from being an industry-proposed concept to a live scheme,” he says.

The Founding Members of ResiLoop Limited are:

• Altro APAC
• Amtico International
• Armstrong Flooring
• Forbo Floorcoverings
• Gerflor Australasia
• Interface Australia
• Karndean International
• Kenbrock
• Milliken (Australia)
• Pegulan Floor Coverings
• Polyflor Australia
• Shaw Contract Group
• Signature Floorcoverings
• The Andrews Group
• Tarkett Australia

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