How to dispose and recycle used carpet

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When your carpet is beginning to look a little threadbare and like it’s reaching the end of its life, you may choose to replace it with a new carpet or a new type of flooring like laminate or vinyl. And while it can be exciting to look at all the new flooring options and get your new flooring installed, there are some practical details to consider, like what to do with your old carpet.

This guide will take you through how to dispose of old carpet, from binning it to recycling it and the different costs and processes that are associated with each. We’ll also explain what to do with all the accessories like carpet grippers and underlay, too.

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Disposing of old carpet

There’s a range of ways you can get rid of your old carpet, including donation and reuse, but how do you know what the best solution is for you? You’ll need to factor in:

Cost – how much money do you want to spend to get rid of your old carpet?
Time available – how much time do you have free to dispose of your carpet yourself?
Convenience – is it easier to allow someone else to dispose of your carpet for you?
Transport of carpet – do you have room in your car to transport your old carpet to a place you can dispose of it?

Should I recycle or bin my old carpet?

The short answer is that there are so many ways to recycle old carpets there is almost no situation where you would need to completely get rid of an old carpet, even if it’s seen better days. Carpet can be recycled into scraps, tiles, scratching posts for cats, and can even be used in your garden to help keep weeds at bay! Read on to find out some of the ingenious ways you can recycle and reuse carpet, and where to recycle old carpet if you don’t want to keep it yourself.

How to recycle carpet

There are so many ways to recycle carpet on your own, but if you want to know where to take a carpet to get it recycled, here are your options:

Check if your local council offers carpet recycling services
Ask the shop where you purchased the carpet to see if they offer a recycling programme
You can give your carpet away through Freecycle or another group in your area if your carpet is still in relatively good condition
Similarly, Facebook Marketplace pages or local group pages are good places to list your carpet
Your local animal rescue shelter may want old carpet pieces that can be used as mats to keep animals warm and comfortable.

With each of these different recycling options, there will be different costs and efforts involved. Some research will be required for each, calling up different places and looking at different websites, and almost all of them will require you to take your carpet to the location to be dropped off.

What are typical carpet recycling costs?

In general, it should be free to recycle your carpet, especially if you’re donating it to another cause. However, you may find your local council charges a fee to have it picked up.

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How to dispose of old carpet

If you find that your carpet is not suitable to be taken by any recycling centres or to be reused by a group, then you will want to dispose of it at the tip. Disposing of it in other ways is possible but it’s best to make sure you’re getting rid of your old carpet in an ethical and environmentally friendly way, which is why recycling should be your number one option when disposing of old carpet.

Can you put an old carpet into your general waste bin?

No, carpets should not be disposed of in domestic or commercial waste bins. Carpet disposed of with general waste is often not accepted by landfills or recycling centres. Moreover, plastic materials that end up in landfills can take decades to decompose and release toxins that contribute to pollution.

What are typical carpet disposal costs?

The typical cost for getting rid of your old carpet at the tip should only be a small amount that your local tip will charge, if any. Fly tipping or dumping your carpet on the street is not only bad for the environment but can also cost you a very big fine!

What should you do with carpet accessories?

If your carpet accessories are still in a good condition, then you can put them on a resale site like Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace to other people looking for carpet accessories to save some money. Alternatively, if you’re having a new carpet fitted, then you could potentially keep them for your new carpet if they are suitable.

Let Tapi take care of old carpet for you

Getting rid of your old carpet can be more hassle than it’s worth. At Tapi, our recommended fitting partners offer an uplift and removal service whenever you buy a new carpet from us. They will take care of the removal of your carpet, the underlay, grippers and carpet tacks. This shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes and they can do this on the day they lay your new carpet. After removing the old carpet, we’ll inspect the subfloor beneath to see if any work needs to be done. As the last step, we’ll sweep and vacuum the subfloor so that it’s free of dust and dirt, and ready for the new flooring installation.

It'll only cost you £4.50 per square meter to uplift and remove your old flooring, and if you choose this service whilst you’re ordering your new flooring with us, we’ll even include it in your quote.

If you’d like to enquire with Tapi about our services and look into new flooring options with us too, why not pop down to your local Tapi store with a free store appointment to speak to our floorologists or you can even book a free home appointment for our team to come to you!

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Post author

Jeremy Garrish Buyer Jeremy has 35 years of carpet industry knowledge

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Published: 01-12-2022