Swept under the Carpet: The Big Waste Problem of the Carpet Industry in Germany

The report finds that despite the promotion of circular economy goals, the vast majority of carpets in Germany are incinerated and 60% in Europe are landfilled. It highlights a significant discrepancy between the environmental claims of industry leaders Interface and Desso and their actual reclamation rates, which are approximately 1.5% and 3% respectively. The document argues that structural issues, including poor product design, lack of separate collection systems, and an overcapacity of waste incinerators in Germany, hinder the transition to a closed-loop system. It recommends the introduction of product stewardship (Extended Producer Responsibility), an incineration tax, and mandatory bulky waste regulations to incentivise recycling over burning.

• The carpet industry in Europe and Germany is far from a circular economy; approximately 60 percent of carpets in Europe are landfilled, and in Germany, almost all used carpets are incinerated.
• There is a stark contrast between the sustainability marketing of leading manufacturers and their actual performance: Interface reclaims only about 1.5 percent and Desso reclaims about 3 percent of their sold carpets for recycling.
• Germany's waste management infrastructure actively discourages recycling due to a 2 million tonne overcapacity in waste incineration facilities, which keeps incineration prices low and creates a 'hunger' for combustible materials like carpet.
• Current carpet design is a primary barrier to recycling because materials are often mixed or glued in ways that prevent the separation of face fibres from the backing, often leading to 'down-cycling' into inferior products rather than closed-loop recycling.
• The incineration of carpets poses significant health and environmental risks, including the release of greenhouse gases and toxic substances like dioxin, especially when carpets contain PVC.
• The report identifies a lack of comprehensive reclamation systems and separate collection infrastructure in Germany, as carpets are typically treated as general bulky waste and thus sent to incinerators.
• The authors argue that the 'Cradle to Cradle' (C2C) certification used by companies like Desso can be misleading because it often relies on theoretical recyclability rather than actual reclamation volumes.
• To transition to a circular economy, the report recommends that German policy-makers introduce an incineration tax, implement product stewardship (Extended Producer Responsibility), and set mandatory targets for the reuse and recycling of bulky waste.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2017). Swept under the Carpet: The Big Waste Problem of the Carpet Industry in Germany. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/German-Carpet-Report-ENG.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Swept under the Carpet: The Big Waste Problem of the Carpet Industry in Germany. 2017. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/German-Carpet-Report-ENG.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Swept under the Carpet: The Big Waste Problem of the Carpet Industry in Germany |date=February 2017 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/German-Carpet-Report-ENG.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2017swept, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Swept under the Carpet: The Big Waste Problem of the Carpet Industry in Germany}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/German-Carpet-Report-ENG.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }