Page 36 - CFJ_Jul26

LATEST NEWS

2026 sustainability awards winners revealed by Recofloor

ECOFLOOR has announced the comments Carla Eslava, Recofloor project scheme member since 2009, Nutland has
Rwinners of its 2026 Recofloor manager. collected 139 tonnes to date, including
Awards, recognising flooring contractors, 2026 AWARD WINNERS 10.18 tonnes in 2025. The business
distributors and individuals who are Contractor of the Year: Fineweave Carpets frames its drop-off points as practical
helping the sector keep materials in Fineweave, led by managing director customer service: providing bins that
use for longer, and build recycling into Lee Withers, has been named the 2026 save local contractors time, promoting
everyday practice. Contractor of the Year. Having been a the scheme through newsletters and
The awards, run by the UK-wide vinyl prolific collector since joining Recofloor social media, and monitoring containers
flooring takeback scheme founded by in 2017, Fineweave has returned more daily to keep material dry and suitable for
Altro and Polyflor, celebrate the ‘how’ as than 80 tonnes overall and 17.76 tonnes recycling.
much as the ‘how much’: the routines in 2025. The firm, established in 1968, Best Newcomer: Donnelly Watson Flooring
that prevent contamination, efforts to works across the new homes sector with Donnelly Watson has built a team-led
keep teams aligned on sustainable action, a team of 44 specialist sub-contractors approach to sustainable action: from
and the small operational tweaks that installing vinyl and luxury vinyl tile (LVT). staff induction and daily checks to clear
make waste prevention feel normal rather In its entry, Fineweave describes internal communications. The business
than exceptional. Recofloor as ‘a major focus in tenders’, also points to customer-facing benefits,
In 2025, Recofloor members collected noting that housebuilders scrutinise including promoting the partnership
563 tonnes of material for recycling (a 6% recycling initiatives and that ‘this can be online and adding ‘your old flooring will
increase on 2024), and the scheme also the difference between winning or losing be uplifted and recycled’ to relevant
facilitated the movement of 21 tonnes for a contract’. quotations, reporting that customers are
reuse. Its practice of hands-on checking of often impressed by the effort.
Together, these figures point to a shift material to maintain compliance, high In addition to its sustainability efforts
already under way in the supply chain: installation standards and its wider through Recofloor, Donnelly Watson is
circular approaches that bring down efforts to recycle across its operations working with a local company to recycle
waste and, increasingly, strengthen bids make it a worthy recipient of the award. its plastic, aluminium, steel and film
and help flooring businesses to win work waste, bringing its commercial waste
in a competitive market. Recofloor Champion: down even further.
A Recofloor award is a great milestone: Ed Murison, Veitchi Flooring
reflecting consistent effort over time Contracts manager Ed Murison is Greatest Improver Awards
and giving businesses a credible story to recognised for driving engagement across Recofloor also named the top three
share with customers, project partners Veitchi’s Aberdeen and Glasgow divisions, members with the biggest year-on-year
and their own teams. combining day-to-day controls (regular increase in collection tonnages in 2025:
This year, Recofloor received 15 checks, locked bins and team education) • Hicks Flooring (1st place)
entries across categories, with entries with wider reuse initiatives. His efforts • Meadee Flooring (2nd place)
judged by the Recofloor team alongside include donating surplus materials to • Floorscope (3rd place)
representatives from Altro and Polyflor. community partners (including Gray’s A full list of award winners – including
School of Art) to keep usable materials in
‘We’re delighted with the brilliant the members receiving gold, silver and
entries we’ve received this year, circulation before recycling. bronze awards for hitting designated
which really demonstrate the depth Distributor of the Year: tonnage targets – will be published on
of sustainability commitment across Nutland Carpet Accessories (Chandlers Ford) the Recofloor website. 
our members, and the sector at large,’ A family-run distributor and long-standing www.recofloor.org

36 CFJ July 2026 www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk
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