2: Recycling

Altro invented safety flooring in 1955 and as a pioneering company whose foundations are built on a culture of innovation, we wanted to be the first to recycle the product.

Recycling safety flooring was, in the past thought to be impossible due to the abrasive nature of the aggregates that give the product its signature slip resistance and durability. These aggregates are some of the hardest materials next to diamond. Any recycling equipment which mechanically broke down the waste flooring would quickly become worn, rendering the recycling too expensive. So up until recently it has always been cheaper to throw it into landfill.

Thanks to substantial investment and pioneering innovation, Altro have installed the world’s first in house safety flooring recycling system. Diverting over 500 tonnes of waste safety flooring from landfill every year, this innovative process enables us to recycle 100% of our factory waste PVC into new Altro safety flooring products which contain up to 20% recycled material.

The Safety Flooring Recycling Process

Safety flooring edge trimmings, factory scrap and collected installation waste are put through a shredder. This shredded material is then granulated into 3 different fractions.

Factory scrap and edge trimmings plus installation waste off cuts   Material is mechanically shredded
Shredded material is then granulated into 3 different fractions
PVC Chip	Aggregate Mix	Mixed Fraction