How to re-use my old carpets?

According to Carpet Recycling UK, each year almost half a million tonnes of carpet waste is buried in UK landfill.

If you have any rugs or carpets that have certainly past their best and have gone past cleaning, don't bin them, recycle them.

First thing to do, is take a good look at them, are they any good? If the answer is 'Yes', then get selling and make some money (always the first option). Try eBay, Gumtree or put an add in the local paper, such as the Ely Standard or the Cambridge News or do you have a village newsletter, such as Witchford Online.

Could they do someone else a good turn? Ask your nearest and dearest, are they in need of a rug. Or, do you have a student in your life? If you don't have any of those options, donate it to charity or, I know I said not to take it to the tip, but at Witchford Recycling Centre, they have a re-use shop.

The final alternative, is to use the carpet in the garden. But consider before using it to line a new pond or keep weeds at bay on your gravel path. Synthetic carpets are made from petroleum products that have been treated with chemicals and cleaners - is this something you want oozing out into your soil? And although, nothing lasts forever, do you really want to be pulling out an old rotten carpet, several years from now?

More information about recycling carpets is available at Carpet Recycling UK.