RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE THE CARPET INDUSTRY IN FRANCE

The report examines the transition of the carpet industry toward a circular economy, focusing on the French and European markets. It finds that the vast majority of carpets end up in landfills or incinerators, with actual recycling rates for industry leaders like Interface and Desso being significantly lower than their public commitments. The document specifically highlights the 'scandal' of single-use carpets in the French events sector and provides recommendations for manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers to implement closed-loop systems and eco-design.

• The European carpet market is the second largest globally, with a demand of 698 million square metres in 2016, yet approximately 1.6 million tonnes of used carpet are disposed of annually in Europe, mostly via landfills and incinerators.
• Actual recycling rates in the European carpet sector are extremely low; the authors estimate that less than 3 percent of carpets sold are collected for recycling, and much of this is 'down-cycling' into inferior products.
• Major manufacturers Interface and Desso exhibit a significant gap between their sustainability targets and reality, with reported end-of-life recycling rates of approximately 1.5 percent and 3 percent respectively.
• The French events sector is identified as particularly problematic, utilizing approximately 6 million square metres of carpet annually across 1,135 fairs, much of which is single-use and discarded after only a few hours or days.
• The 'Optimum' program in France is criticized for misleading consumers by labeling the thermal conversion of carpet tiles into pellets for cement kilns as 'recycling' when it is actually energy recovery (Solid Recovered Fuel).
• Eco-design is presented as a critical barrier to circularity; most carpets are only partially recyclable because the adhesives used to glue face fibres to backings prevent efficient material recovery.
• The report recommends that French authorities draft a report on the reuse and recycling potential of carpets as required by Article 101 of the Energy Transition for Green Growth legislation.
• To achieve a true circular economy, the report suggests that the industry must move toward carpet tiles instead of broadloom, use a single material per layer, and implement back-stamping to identify materials for recyclers.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2017). RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE THE CARPET INDUSTRY IN FRANCE. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/French-Carpet-Report-English.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE THE CARPET INDUSTRY IN FRANCE. 2017. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/French-Carpet-Report-English.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE THE CARPET INDUSTRY IN FRANCE |date=February 2017 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/French-Carpet-Report-English.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2017recommendations, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE THE CARPET INDUSTRY IN FRANCE}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/French-Carpet-Report-English.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }