Here at Heckmondwike, we believe that, like our carpet tiles, we need the planet to last for years to come. Therefore, we look for every opportunity to minimise the impact we have on the environment.
Here are a few of the ways that we’re making our carpet tiles eco-friendly.
1. Using recycled materials
Every day over 55 million car tyres are thrown away, with many of them being burned or dumped which is extremely harmful to the environment. For some collections, we use a rubber crumb backing from recycled car tyres. Recycling the tyres into backing for carpet tiles is a great way to give them a new purpose and stop pollution.
For the rest of our carpet tile products, we back them with a polymer modified bitumen which contains a minimum of at least 72% recycled content.
2. We donate waste carpet to companies in need
Throughout our manufacturing process, there is often a lot of waste carpet which isn’t required for our products, such as off cuts or seconds. Rather than sending these to landfill, which isn’t very sustainable, we donate them to other organisations in need. Some of these include local charities and carpet training apprentice centres or colleges.
3. Sourcing raw materials
One of the ways we can make more eco-conscious decisions is by sourcing raw materials with a low environmental impact for our carpet tiles. We use 100% recycled Polyester for the majority of our products, which are made from things like plastic bottles and lids. Our products are also manufactured using a high percentage of Polypropylene which has the lowest energy conversion of any man-made fibre.
4. We use local suppliers
Where possible, we prefer to use local suppliers here in Yorkshire for our raw materials. Using suppliers who are based locally reduces carbon emissions as the goods don’t have to travel as far to reach our factory. Not only does this help to reduce our carbon footprint, but it also means we are supporting our local economy too!
5. All our packaging is recycled
Single-use plastic, like the kind that is found on a lot of packaging, is significantly damaging to the environment. When it’s not recycled, it ends up going to landfills and can litter our countryside when not disposed of responsibly. So, our plastic packaging for raw fibres is collected and recycled.
All cardboard, including the tubes used in carpet rolls, is also reused or recycled to minimise waste. Wooden pallets are often reused frequently to prolong their life cycle. Once they become damaged or unable to be used, they’re also collected and recycled.
6. Our carpet tiles will last the test of time
One way of reducing the environmental impact of carpet tiles is to ensure that they last for years to come, so they don’t have to be replaced. We pride ourselves on producing commercial carpets that are durable, and perfect to use in areas of heavy footfall like entrances and classrooms. In addition to this, carpet tiles are an eco-friendly option because if part of the flooring has reached the end of its life span, you can simply replace the tiles affected rather than the full room.
Interested in our UK manufactured and eco-friendly carpet tiles? To learn more, or request a free carpet sample, please contact 01924 406 161 or email sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.
This Christmas, we’re celebrating 12 days of Supacord! Our bestselling range is a staple in classrooms and workplaces across the country and beyond. It is our most popular carpet, and to sum up this year we wanted to share 12 (very exciting) reasons why we (and you!) love it so much.
On the first day of Supacord…
The Supacord product page was the most visited page on our website this year! That’s over 35,000 who checked out Supacord online – treemendous!
On the second day of Supacord…
The top selling colour of Supacord in both sheet and tile is Anthracite. The tonal grey is calm and comforting, as well as on-trend, which is why it works so won-deer-fully in so many different settings!
On the third day of Supacord…
Standing the test of time, the Supacord range was first launched back in 1973, almost 50 years ago! While there have been some changes to the colours, the product itself remains just as popular as it always has been.
On the fourth day of Supacord…
Supacord is approved by royalty! Back in 1998, it was installed in the brand new Michael Andrews Building for Reception, IT and Administration at the Southampton Institute of Higher Education, which HRH Princess Anne herself officially opened. You could say Supacord is fit for royal shoes…
On the fifth day of Supacord…
Supacord is tried and tested. It’s been installed in all kinds of different buildings for all kinds of different purposes, from schools and universities to apartment complexes and even churches!
On the sixth day of Supacord…
Our fibre bonded best-seller has a 10-year warranty, meaning it is officially *guaranteed* to stand the test of time.
On the seventh day of Supacord…
Supacord tiles have an acoustic backing option, which gives them a 3db increase in Impact Noise Reduction, from 19db (regular backing) to 22db (acoustic backing). Noisy classroom? Snow problem for Supacord!
On the eighth day of Supacord…
Supacord sheet comes in two widths, 2 metres and 4 metres. By using a combination of the two options for an installation, you can save money as well as reduce waste!
On the ninth day of Supacord…
Whilst still very popular in the UK, Supacord has also gone global! More recently, it was installed in a purpose-built indoor Padel court in Sweden, where it was used as the surround for centre court!
On the tenth day of Supacord…
Supacord is manufactured right here in the UK at our West Yorkshire factory, and has been since its launch almost 50 years ago. We intend to keep it that way.
On the 11th day of Supacord…
Coming in a huge selection of 42 different colours, Supacord is one of the most versatile fibre bonded products on the market.
On the 12th day of Supacord…
Sleigh, what? Over 1 million square metres of Supacord were sold in 2021!!
All in all, its been a very ex-ice-ting year for Supacord, and we can’t wait for all the fantastic things we have planned at Heckmondwike in 2022.
For more information about Supacord, and our other UK manufactured, fibre bonded carpets, contact our expert team on 01924 406 161 or email sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.
Heckmondwike is delighted to be exhibiting at this year’s Education Estates® exhibition, taking place on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th October at the Manchester Central Conference Centre, marking a welcome return to in-person events and exhibitions.
As a market-leading carpet provider for the education sector, we are proud to be showcasing our range of high quality, durable and stylish fibre bonded carpets, suitable for any educational environment. This includes our most widely recognised and specified product, Supacord – perfect for the education sector. Also in focus will be our entrance & transition area range, including robust entrance carpets such as Battleship/Hippo and bespoke entrance products, often used in conjunction with our fibre bonded and creative ranges for a full fit-out solution.
Our objective is to create carpets that work with their surroundings to offer a practical solution, in addition to being efficient and cost-effective every time. With anti-ravel and anti-fray properties, an unrivalled colour bank, the benefit of reduced impact noise, plus our extensive fibre bonded, creative and entrance solution ranges, it’s no surprise that Heckmondwike carpets have been used in education environments for over 50 years.
This year’s stand at the two day exhibition will provide visitors with an excellent opportunity to talk one-to-one with our experienced sales representatives, who are happy to help with your specific project requirements. Come along to chat to us and find out more at stand B23, where we will be displaying alongside our sister companies – Paragon Carpet Tiles and Mat.works Entrance Solutions.
Education Estates®, in partnership with the Department for Education, is now in its 9th year, and is widely known as the annual gathering of the Education Community. With over 100 exhibits across both days, plus more than 150 speakers across 6 stages, the event is all about discovering ways to transform and refine internal and external learning environments into sustainable and adaptive spaces, from school through to university.
Come to visit us, and register for your place by clicking here.
Here at Heckmondwike FB, we believe that where we are based says a lot about who we are as a company.
As the name suggests, our factory is located near Heckmondwike, a small town in West Yorkshire. Since the company was founded in the 1960s, our values have always been very straight-talking, honest and true to our Yorkshire roots.
Our emphasis on transparency and access to the highest quality materials have been key factors in creating the legacy that we now hold in the UK education sector and beyond.
So with that spirit in mind, here is a guided tour around the key processes we use to manufacture our fibre bonded carpets.
-
Arrival of the fibre
The first step in creating our carpets is receiving the shipments of fibres at our Goods Inwards department. Fibre is the basic material that a carpet is made up of, with over ninety percent of all carpets now crafted from synthetic fibres.
The fibres we receive are predominately polypropylene and nylon fibres which are then colour matched to make sure they are up to the highest standard.
-
Blend, blend, blend!
The fibres are blended together to create different bespoke mixtures of colours and textures for each range we offer. We don’t just mix colours, we also combine types of fibres in order to create material blends that have different textures and durabilities. The blending also opens up the fibres, preparing them for the next process; to be made into carpet.
-
It’s needle time
The fibres are further mixed ready to be carded; a process of separating the individual fibres using a course of dividing and redividing steps, which ultimately causes the fibres to lie parallel to one another, eliminating any remaining impurities.
In their carded form the fibres are presented to the first pre-needling process, where they are needled into a sheet with multiple layers. After this, they are further needled, which compresses those layers, forming a blank canvas for the designs.
Last in this stage, the needled carpet is structured by unique structuring needles, meaning it is essentially ‘imprinted’ with its pattern and texture.
-
Finishing touches
To ensure the highest quality end product, we apply a latex coating in our backing plant which further bonds the fibres. The carpet can be backed with a variety of different backing materials, depending on the final product required. We use a number of other different types of backing including foam, crumb and acoustic. For our carpet tiles, a bitumen back is added at our sister factory Paragon Carpet Tiles.
Finally, the finished carpet product heads to despatch, ready to be delivered across the UK to a variety of destinations including schools, offices, universities and apartment complexes – to name just a few!
All in all, we’re really proud of how we manufacture our fibre-bonded carpets in our Yorkshire factory. Especially as all of our products are quality tested to industry and environmental standards before being approved.
Why not order a free sample today to experience our high-quality carpets for yourself, or get in touch on 01924410544.
Why carpets are a good option – now and forever!
You may have noticed that we’ve recently rebranded our company, with a new logo and strapline – ‘Makers of Fibre Bonded Carpets’. The reason we did this was to reinforce messages around our history, longevity and commitment to manufacturing fibre bonded carpet, here in the UK.
The branding exercise has also given us the opportunity to review our marketing messages and to ensure that we are clearly communicating to flooring contractors the benefits of fibre bonded carpet.With so many different flooring options out there, we think there’s a great opportunity to look at why carpet has stood the test of time and why it continues to be one of the UK’s most popular flooring choices.
History of floor coverings
As far back as 6000 BC there is evidence of goats and sheep being sheared for wool and hair and it being spun and woven into a material that was used for a number of purposes, including as clothing and as a floor covering. Dating from around 1480 BC the ancient Egyptians used handlooms to make rugs. In 1000 AD Marco Polo confirmed rug making was taking place in the Middle Eastern countries that he passed through.
In the Industrial Revolution in England, textile inventions were introduced by Hargreaves, Arkwright, Crompton which included weaving wool for many purposes, including soft flooring.
Over the years, there have been many developments in man-made fibres, loom widths and machine efficiencies bringing carpet within reach of the mass market.
Fast forward to the modern era and carpet is still as popular as ever in the UK for use in many different applications. Carpet design continues to be influenced by social and economic factors and fashion. Some of the most important reasons that contractors and specifiers choose carpet are for its thermal and acoustic performance. This has led to fibre bonded carpet being specified widely in public buildings, student accommodation, retail outlets, sheltered housing and offices. People like the soft, comfortable feel underfoot, which cannot be rivalled by any other floor covering. Carpet also has benefits in terms of reducing slips, trips and falls. Many of our entrance carpets enable grit and moisture to be removed from footwear, so it doesn’t cause damage to internal floor coverings and lowers the risk of accidents to visitors or occupants.
Design trends
There will always be popular trends in floor coverings and carpet is extremely versatile in being able to ‘move with the times’. For example, the planked look is being widely specified for both public and private sector buildings, including offices and student accommodation. Also, there is a trend for plain carpet that is intermingled with subtle elements of colour, as seen in our Array range.
Even though carpet manufacture has been around for thousands of years, it keeps on evolving. Recent innovations include, for example, the introduction of machines that enable bespoke logos and designs to be integrated within a carpet. Many schools, as well as private and public buildings are specifying this type of carpet to enhance and reinforce their branding in their entrance areas.
It’s worth considering why carpet is still one of the most popular floor coverings for so many different applications. Whilst more competitively-priced materials may deliver short term gains, there are few that can match a carpet’s aesthetics, comfort, acoustics and thermal performance.