How to dispose and recycle used carpet

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. Perhaps with a plush new carpet, or a new type of flooring like laminate or vinyl. While it’s exciting to explore 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 carpet, covering everything from how to recycle carpet to disposing of unusable carpet responsibly. We’ll also explore ways to upcycle your carpet at home, and what to do with accessories like carpet grippers and underlay.

In this guide:

Old carpet disposal carpet: things to consider
Can you recycle carpet?
How to recycle carpet
How to dispose of carpet
What should you do with carpet accessories?
Let Tapi take care of old carpet for you

Learn more about our Uplift & Removal service

Old carpet disposal: Things to consider

There are various 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 – How much time do you have available 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 where you can dispose of it?

Can you recycle carpet?

Yes, there are various ways to recycle old carpet, to the extent that there’s almost no situation where you would need to completely get rid of an old carpet, even if it’s seen better days. Your local household waste recycling centre will often take old carpets for recycling or as responsible waste.

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 various ways to recycle your old carpet, with varying degrees of cost, effort and research involved. You may need to research local recycling points and charities if you think you could donate your carpet. Most options will require you to take your carpet to the location to be dropped off, so bear that in mind too.

If you want to know where to recycle carpet, here are your options:

Household waste recycling centre

Carpets can’t be recycled at home. If your carpet or rug is in good condition, you can take it to a household waste recycling centre for free. Check your local council to find your nearest participating recycling centre.

Donate old carpet

You might be able to donate carpets in decent condition to local animal rescue shelters, which often use old carpets as mats to keep animals warm and comfortable.

You can also give your carpet away through Freecycle and list it on Facebook Marketplace or other groups in your local area if your carpet is still in good condition.

Carpet recycling programmes

Some carpet shops offer carpet recycling programmes to help you with old carpet disposal, so make sure to ask before you consider throwing it away yourself.

Upcycle old carpet

Old carpet can be upcycled to offer lots of practical uses around the house, including:

Furniture pads and carpet scraps
Door and floor mats
Tiles
Pet bedding
Cat scratching posts
Flooring for sheds and attics
DIY knee pads
Car boot lining for pets
Weed barriers in the garden

For more ideas on what to do with leftover flooring, check out our guide.

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.

How to dispose of carpet

If you find that your carpet is not suitable to be taken by any recycling centres, charities or marketplace groups, then you’ll need to dispose of it properly at the tip. It’s best to dispose of old carpet in the most ethical and environmentally friendly way – which is why recycling should be your number one option when considering old carpet disposal.

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

No, carpets should not be disposed of in domestic or commercial waste bins. Landfills and recycling centres often won’t accept carpet disposed in general waste. Meanwhile, plastic materials that end up in landfills can take decades to decompose and release toxins that contribute to pollution.

Can you take carpet to the tip?

Yes – if you’re wondering how to dispose of carpet responsibly, you should still take it to your nearest household waste recycling centre. If your carpet is no longer usable or suitable for recycling, you can dispose of it in a waste for energy recovery skip, which helps to generate energy from waste disposal.

Why can’t I put carpet in a skip?

If you’re renovating your home and you’ve hired your own skip, some skip providers won’t let you throw carpet away due to the effort involved and the environmental impact. The best way to dispose of unusable carpet yourself is to take it to a household waste recycling centre, or arrange for a waste collection service. You can also ask the skip provider to find out more about their recycling processes.

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, if anything. 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 good condition, you can put them on a resale website like Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace so other people looking for carpet accessories can 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’ll take care of carpet removal, underlay, grippers and carpet tacks. This shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes, and they can do this on the same day they fit 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 it’s free of dust and dirt – ready for your new flooring installation.

It'll only cost you from £5.50 per square metre to uplift and remove your old flooring. If you choose this service whilst you’re ordering your new flooring with us, we can include it in your quote.

Explore our full range of services and compare new flooring options for your home online, or pop down to your local Tapi store today. Book a free store appointment to speak to our helpful floorologists, or we can bring our store to you with a free home appointment.

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Post author

Jeremy Garrish Buyer Jeremy has 35 years of carpet industry knowledge

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Published: 30-01-2025