Getting started appears to be the most difficult part of any dwelling update. There appears to be a little something in the way. And when dingy, old carpets or rugs are plaguing parts of your house, trying to work out exactly how to eliminate them can often prevent you from purchasing something new. Americans put about 5 billion pounds of carpet a year in landfills — so placing it in the trash isn’t the best alternative. So what are your options?
1. Sell it. Before ditching your old rug or carpeting to the curb, try cleaning up it to see whether it can be reused. Even if you don’t desire it, you would be astonished just how a lot of folks would love to buy your rug. Selling it (in a garage sale, through want ads or Craigslist.org) keeps it from this dump and puts extra money in your own pocket. Look up the care instructions for your rug’s cloth and clean it, or even dye it to get a fresh look.
2. Give it. As long as it is clean and smells all right, many charity organizations will take old carpets and rugs. Many animal shelters and coaching centers welcome pieces of old carpets to use for the bottom of dog and cat cages. Craigslist’s “free” section and Freecycle are excellent online tools if you’d rather attempt to prevent slugging a large rolled-up rug in the back of your vehicle.
3. Recycle it. While it can be a bit more complicated, there are centers which will recycle carpet, turning it into everything from roofing shingles to rail ties and furniture batting. Consult your installer or carpet supplier, as many individual carpet and rug businesses provide recycling alternatives at their factories. Some facilities which is found via CARE — the Carpet America Recovery Effort. The majority of these recycling centers will cost from 5 to 25 cents a pound to recycle your carpet.
4. Reuse it. Use bits and pieces of your previous rug or carpeting in various areas throughout your house. Get creative! However damaged it’s, there is a surprising number of uses for the carpet you thought you would need to push into your trash can: Use old carpets to cover kitty furniture, or use as cat scratchers — such as Houzz user neilinthegarden did for his Maine Coon, above. Use as insulation for small spaces, such as pipes, attics, pet homes, as well as your compost heap in winter (warmth helps the composting process)! Use as a weed suppressant in gardens. Put underneath bark or gravel to create a new, weed-free pathway.If there is a bigger un-damaged piece which can be salvaged, try cutting a rectangle to get a brand new welcome mat, or kneeling pad to get your garden.If just little bits can be used, try cutting smaller pieces to use for moving heavy furniture, even for unique beverage coasters, or even to get an extra-durable scrubbing tool.
Susan Diana Harris Interior Design
Attempt going green for your next rug purchase.
Check out some of those well-known brands for good, eco-friendly options:Flor: The Flor Fedora lineup uses 80% post consumer fibers. You could also ship old Flor tiles for free to the company’s recycling facilities.Mohawk: EverStrand carpet fiber is made with PET recycled plastic bottles.Shaw: Some of Shaw’s lines can be recycled in their Augusta, Georgia facility.Milliken: This lineup’s Tesserae carpet tile is made with 33% recycled material.
What can you do with your previous carpets?