MASHING UP IMAGINATIVE SOLUTIONS IN CARPET WASTE REDUCTION

By definition, ‘mash up’ refers to a mixture of different, often contrasting elements brought together to create something new. An unlikely creative combination that somehow just seems to work.

We see mash ups in music, we seem them in art, on TV and even in literature. Check out Pride and Prejudice and Zombies a bizarre mash up written by Seth Grahame-Smith, to great acclaim, that was successful enough to make it to the big screen!

At their best, mash ups can unlock a whole new path of creativity and trigger the brain to break from the norm and move in a new and unexpected direction.

So what does this have to do with carpet?

Earlier this year one of Milliken’s long serving product quality specialists saw something on a TV show that sparked an idea. How can we put to good use, every single first quality floor tile that Milliken manufactures at its plant in Wigan, UK?

Every textile production environment will inevitably generate some degree of product wastage – perhaps more than you think. While Milliken prides itself on its industry leading environmental standards, even the most tightly managed manufacturing processes will inevitably results in some material waste. With production overruns, new product development materials, unused samples and excess inventory, a stock of excess tiles can accumulate into a sizable quantity, all first quality, all completely usable, just mismatched.

Eliminating carpet tile waste

Having experimented with various layouts of random design combinations of these ‘wasted’ tiles the team discovered that the eclectic tile mixes actually looked amazing together! From there, it became not such a crazy idea to offer the concept as a carpet range to customers looking for something a bit different, on a budget, that would also help to eliminate material waste. The Mash Up Collection was born.

While for Milliken, these excess tiles don’t go to landfill, they would typically be either converted into other products or, as a last resort, go into waste to energy processing. A preferable, more circular solution is to retain them where possible, in-use for the purpose they were intended. As we all strive towards developing a more circular economy, the Mash Up Collection is enabling Milliken to keep carpet tile waste to an absolute minimum.

Having fun with the floor

To make the Mash Up work as a viable collection that Milliken can offer to its customers, the excess tiles are first sorted into usable colour palettes. There are six palettes in total for the 50 x 50cm carpet tiles - Blues, Beiges, Greys, Darks, Multi-coloureds and Brights. There are also 100 x 25cm carpet planks available as a single Multi-coloured palette. Depending how a customer wants to mash up, they could stick to one colour palette or even mix several palettes together.

Given that Milliken’s carpet portfolio incorporates two grades of cushion backings - WellBAC^® Comfort Plus and the lighter WellBAC^® Comfort option, the ranges are made available in either one or other of the bases to ensure a seamless finish.

Due to the random nature of the carpet tile range, Mash Up is completely batchless which means tiles can be easily installed any direction. This has the advantage of making installation quick and simple, giving customers the creative freedom to play around and have some fun with the floorplate!

For any Milliken customer keen to embrace an eclectic flooring solution, at less than half the price of a standard Milliken carpet collection, Mash Up offers a highly economical option with excellent sustainability credentials. 

 How can you use Mash Up?

Initial installations have seen Mash Ups working brilliantly in a variety of different spaces. Ideal for injecting creative energy into a breakout space, they can also transform a dull corridor into a catwalk of joy, can pep up a back-office space or make a strong statement in any area that you wish to get noticed. 

Make a statement with Mash Up - Bright tiles 

At Milliken, we are very much looking forward to seeing what our customers do with Mash Up.

With an option for adding Milliken’s TractionBack^® friction coating to the backing, the Mash Up tiles can be installed glue-free making them even easier to lift and shift around when you want to. This option also helps minimise waste even further by eliminating adhesives and associated packaging.

Caligen - Vita Group, Accrington

Aesthetically, the idea of combining a mix of Milliken carpet designs is not completely unprecedented. A few years ago, workplace interior specialists Claremont revealed its impressive re-imagining of Flutter’s HQ building in Dublin.

Selecting a curated combination of individual designs to punctuate the floorplate, in a field of Isograd carpet tiles, the scheme was perfect for this entertainment brand known for its playful ethos. As well as demonstrating the mash up concept beautifully, Claremont’s talented design team won a well-deserved Mixology award for the project.

Sustainable to the core

Having been led by sustainable principals from its very earliest days (Milliken developed its first recycling policy in 1901), being environmentally conscious is in Milliken’s DNA and instilled in every employee’s values. This latest initiative - an ambitious goal to ‘put every single Milliken tile to good use’, is testament to that ideal and a brilliant example of how a spark of an idea, with determination, can be actioned into reality.

 Create a catwalk - Mash Up multi-coloured planks

To find out more - view the Milliken Mash Up brochure or contact customer services on: UK
T. +44 (0)1942 612 777 E. carpetenquiries@milliken.com - other country contacts can be found on the last page of the brochure.