A Guide to Carpet Disposal

The average UK household’s flooring of choice is often carpet, especially compared to the US and certain European countries where carpet is a much rarer sight. The United Kingdom’s appetite for carpeted floors results in plenty of excess which can be difficult to get rid of.

How to Dispose of Old Carpet?

Clearabee are the UK’s largest clearance company with a wealth of experience in providing quick and convenient options when it comes to carpet disposal. Our most popular options are our ‘Man and Van’ collections which include the aid of our professional waste operatives. In large quantities, carpet can become difficult to move, in which case we’ll gladly take that burdening job off your hands.

If you’re performing a large scale cleanout or renovation over a couple of days or weeks, you could consider a Clearabee skip hire. With next-day deliveries across the nation, you can fill a skip at your own leisure and we’ll promptly collect it once you are ready.

Carpet Disposal Cost

The cost of carpet disposal can vary significantly based on the quantity. Our ‘Man and Van’ Collections are priced on cubic yards of waste and a call-out charge of £59.99. For example, 2 cubic yards of rolled-up carpet would cost a total of £109.99 to collect. For context, two cubic yards is around 2 washing machines worth of space. For a full breakdown of our ‘Man and Van’ collection prices and click here.

For a slightly larger amount that may take you a few days to get rid of you could try a 6-yard skip for £210.24. Skip prices vary based on location, whether they are placed on public/private land and more. For this example, we have showcased a price for a skip within Innercity Birmingham and being placed on private land. These prices are up to date as of January 2021, if you would like a bespoke quote contact us here.

Disposing of Carpet – Alternatives

Tips

Many tips and waste centres are able to accept carpet but we advise doing some research or making some enquiries to make sure you don’t make a wasted trip. With carpet being so bulky it may also be difficult to fit it into your car so a collection may be easier.

Council Collections

Some councils provide a bulky waste collection service but again, this can differ from council to council. Be sure to check how long it takes to collect as council collections can be quite slow. On the other hand, Clearabee can provide collections on a same-day basis.

Sell or Donate Your Preowned Carpet

If your carpet is still in a good condition and you have removed it without damaging it, you could look into selling it. Preowned household items for sale on sites Gumtree and Freecycle extend to baths, kitchen cupboards, and carpet.

Can I Put Carpet in my Black Bin?

Most if not all council collected bins will not be accepted if you use them to throw away carpet. Carpet is amongst a list of items you can’t throw away via your general waste bin which include electrical items, soil and other types of bulky waste like furniture.

Is Carpet Recyclable?

Typically, items are best recycled once their raw materials have been separated. This is the case with carpet and materials which are salvageable include polyester and cotton. These raw materials can sometimes re-enter the carpet industry but can also be used in items that can accept lower quality recycled materials.

Is Carpet Underlay Recyclable?

Carpet underlay is made of similar materials as carpet so can be recycled much in the same way. Items that may be made using recycled underlay include insulation and office carpet tiles.

Carpet Uplift and Disposal Guide

If your carpet is looking a little on the worn side you may be considering replacing it or swapping it out for new material like wooden flooring. Here is a quick guide on how to lift carpet yourself ready to be collected. To complete this DIY job you will need a Stanley knife and some heavy-duty gloves.

Steps:

Ensure you wear gloves as carpet is often fastened down by pins and staples, which can easily cause you harm.

Go to the corner of the room and see if you can lift the carpet with your hands.

If not, cut a small square with your knife which will allow you to grip under the carpet and lift it.

The carpet may be tacked down to the carpet grippers, the force of you pulling the carpet should detach the carpet.

When removing a whole room’s worth of carpet you may want to stop after you’ve lifted a third or quarter and then cut that piece loose with your knife. This will leave you with more manageable segments that will be a lot easier to wrap up and carry.

If you need to lift the underlay this can be lifted by hand and is typically attached to the floor with staples or glue.

There are additional steps you may want to complete like lifting up any staples used to secure the underlay. You would do this if you were planning to install laminate flooring to allow it to sit flat and level. We’re only covering the uplift of the carpet, so we’ll leave those details out.

Get in contact for a quote

At Clearabee we are able to accept most waste streams and provide a quick service that will leave you with a tidy premises. You can use our waste calculator for an instant quote based on the rubbish you need to get rid of. So for carpet disposal or any other rubbish removal requirements, use Clearabee.