The circular economy in action! Here Axion Recycling tell us about the development of Recofloor, the vinyl flooring take back scheme.
Great Recovery: Tell us a bit about the project and how it came about.
Axion: Recofloor was set up by two leading vinyl flooring manufacturers, Altro and Polyflor, with the aim of incorporating post-use vinyl flooring into new products. WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Plan) funded a technical processing trial and a collection trial to demonstrate the feasibility of collecting large volumes of clean material suitable for reprocessing.
The original driver for the project came directly from the manufacturers and their willingness to collaborate. Other vinyl flooring recycling schemes pre-existed Recofloor but typically they were set up by sole manufacturers collecting their own material. These schemes did not give a clear message to the supply chain about what to collect.
Altro and Polyflor have taken a step away from the linear economy of ‘take, make, dispose’ towards a circular model whereby they are taking responsibility for the product at the end of its life and ensuring valuable resources are reused.
Great Recovery: How has the project expanded and developed?
Axion: The technical trial was successful and demonstrated that post use vinyl flooring could be incorporated into new flooring products. The key findings of the collection trial were that the best way of collecting flooring in small volumes from wide geographical areas is by using back-haul methods and engaging the whole supply chain.
Collection points at flooring distributors were set up. This was successful because flooring fitters visit distributors on a daily basis to collect new flooring and can drop off the old flooring at the same time. Manufacturers make deliveries to distributors on a daily basis and are able to back-haul collected material.
In order to get the scheme off the ground, a number of challenges had to be met. The scheme required Altro and Polyflor agreeing to work together, an unusual arrangement for two keen competitors. Bespoke collections bags and bins had to be designed and developed. Distributors had to be recruited and persuaded to take in ‘waste’, a new concept for them. Contractors had to be incentivised to separate vinyl from their other waste rather than placing all their waste into one bin.
A unique aspect of the scheme is the collaboration of two manufacturing competitors, which is at the heart of Recofloor’s on-going success.
Great Recovery: What changes have there been as a result of the project?
Axion: The scheme has now been successfully established for over 5 years, winning a number of awards during that time. More than 2000 tonnes of vinyl flooring have been collected to date and diverted from landfill. Over 650 collection sites and over 70 drop-off sites have been set up nationwide.
Communication has been key to the success of the scheme. Axion Consulting Ltd (scheme managers) liaises with the marketing teams at both manufacturers and communicates effectively with their sales teams. Motivation is essential to the scheme’s success. Each participating contractor is issued with a certificate of commitment and Recofloor hosts an annual awards ceremony to acknowledge the engagement of the participants.
The scheme has brought about a number of behaviour changes throughout the entire supply chain. Post use vinyl flooring is separated at source and kept out of the general waste stream. The material is diverted from landfill and instead is recycled into new products. Leading manufacturers have collaborated to ensure the success of the scheme.
There has been a realisation within the sector that it can recycle vinyl flooring and that doing so can be a useful lever in gaining new business.
Great Recovery: Do you have any tips or information that have you learnt from this project that might be useful for other Network members?
Axion: This concept could be easily adapted to different materials and supply chains.
Recofloor has developed an effective PR strategy. It is essential to keep the momentum going through effective communication. For example, Recofloor is promoted at flooring fitting training schools to engage people at the grass roots level. The team frequently promotes the scheme by hosting early morning ‘free bacon butty’ events at distributors in order to catch fitters as they call to collect new flooring supplies. The first annual awards event was held in 2012 and each year the ceremony has been developed and improved. This has been matched by the growing enthusiasm on behalf of Recofloor participants for attending the event and a level of healthy competition for the awards themselves.
It has been important to listen to the needs of the supply chain. For example, it has been necessary to be flexible in the type of container supplied to drop off-sites and to make sure it is appropriate for the site.
People are more likely to change their behaviour when they understand the reasoning behind the change. It has been our experience that rather than simply telling flooring fitters to separate vinyl flooring from general waste, if the reason why that is required is explained, they are more likely to comply.
