Client

ROLS is a company located in Crevillente (Alicante) that has been designing and weaving custom carpets and sustainable carpets with sustainable materials since 1917. They are committed to centralized production in Spain and the use of traditional techniques.

The company aims to design and produce carpets with the least possible environmental impact, prioritizing the use of sustainable and recycled fibers. In 67% of their carpets, the main fiber is a sustainable natural material or recycled plastic, and their goal is to produce 100% of carpets using these materials. They have also set a target to become a carbon-neutral company by 2028, promote local talent and production (currently manufacturing 86% of their carpets and aiming for 100% by 2028), and prioritize local suppliers (with over 50% of purchases made from suppliers within a 50 km radius).

Their main clients include boutique hotels and large hotel chains to whom ROLS supplies carpets and carpets made from recycled and sustainable materials.

Challenge

The challenge is to design a system to recover hotel carpets at the end of their lifecycle, which will:

  • – Reduce waste associated with carpets at the end of their lifecycle through improved waste management.
  • – Extend the lifecycle of carpets and recover materials, thus reducing the environmental impact.
  • – Establish partnerships with customers and engage consumers to ensure the viability of the proposed model.
  • – Become pioneers in textile recovery and recycling systems in Spain.

What was done?

The project was divided into three phases:

  • – Diagnosis, which included an internal analysis of the current lifecycle of carpets and an external analysis of the market for similar services and potential competitors, as well as an evaluation of the new legislative framework that could affect the project.
  • – Involvement, where key actors were identified to develop a return model. Their habits and interests were understood, opportunities and obstacles of the new model were identified, and strategies and incentives were proposed to favor the recovery, reuse, and recycling of carpets.
  • – Design, in which potential recovery scenarios with their advantages and disadvantages were created, and these were technically validated with internal and external stakeholders.
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Results

A carpet recovery system was designed that allows for their reuse through hygienization and/or reconditioning. In some cases, this reconditioning can give carpets an artistic value, making them unique and singular.

The system involves entities from the Spanish Association of Social and Solidarity Economy Recyclers (AERESS), which employ people at risk of social exclusion. Therefore, the project has a positive impact not only from an environmental perspective but also from a social one.

In Spain, there is no carpet brand that offers a recovery model for carpet reconditioning and/or recycling, so ROLS would be a pioneer in this regard in the country.

The next step of the project is to implement a pilot test to assess its viability.

Conclusions

The project represents an opportunity for ROLS to lead a more sustainable and circular model in the textile sector, focused on extending the product’s lifecycle and revaluing it through reconditioning and second-hand sales. One of the challenges of the new model is to attract hotels to get involved: this must be made easy for them, and incentives must be considered to encourage their participation.

Finally, when this new system is implemented, the company will be ahead of environmental legislation. It will comply with the Waste Hierarchy Principle (January 2023), the Extended Producer Responsibility (RAP) (January 2025), and the 2009/125/EC Ecodesign Directive (2023), which includes the “Digital Product Passport,” providing traceability and information about the product’s lifecycle, from the origin of materials to proper end-of-life management, including maintenance and repair.

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