90,000 tonnes. That’s how much carpet waste is sent to landfill each year in Australia and New Zealand alone. It’s a significant problem that a revolutionary new collaboration between Milliken and saveBOARD is tackling head on.

Recycling carpet waste has long been a headache for the flooring industry. The difficulty lies in the construction of carpets. It’s made from multiple layers fused together with adhesives, making it hugely challenging to separate the components efficiently.

While the industry has traditionally focused on breaking these layers apart, Milliken and saveBOARD have taken a bold new approach. Together, they have created Renasci™, a revolutionary and resilient flooring product similar in feel to a luxury vinyl. Made from 80% shredded recycled carpet and 20% soft plastics, it can also be recycled repeatedly.

We Need to Collaborate for a Sustainable Future

If the design & build industry are going to unpick the tangled strands of industrial production, we all need to work together. It’s one reason that industry events are so important. The collaboration between Milliken and saveBOARD was initially inspired by the flooring at the Green Design Hub at Decor + Design 2023. A carbon neutral feature curated by Karie Soehardi of Circular Design Thinking, saveBOARD was used as the flooring solution of the Hub, showcasing its potential as a sustainable building material.

Green Design Hub, Decor + Design 2023. Curated by Circular Design Thinking

This innovative application caught the attention of Milliken’s Managing Director, Shaneel Deo, who wondered at the possibilities of recycling carpet waste into a similar product. Deo reached out via Circular Design Thinking to saveBOARD’s Founder and CEO, Paul Charteris, initiating a two-year research and development program that ultimately led to the creation of Milliken’s new product: Renasci™.

“Carpet is a multi-polymer product, and recycling it is quite a challenge,” explains Deo. “It can be done, but it’s very costly to separate all the different components and recycle them individually.”

Inspired by saveBOARD’s approach to composite packaging waste, Milliken and saveBOARD shifted their focus from separating carpet components to repurposing the material as a whole. During this process, they also identified an opportunity to incorporate soft plastic waste, a major environmental issue.

Renasci Flooring By Milliken

The carpet tiles and consumer soft plastics, such as supermarket bags, are shredded and pressed into a new product without the use of chemical adhesives. The resulting flooring planks are made entirely from materials previously destined for landfill and can be recycled repeatedly in a closed-loop system. This system includes not only end-of-life products but also installation waste and off-cuts, ensuring minimal environmental impact.

It can be used as a resilient alternative to hard flooring and luxury vinyl tile flooring, which itself generates an estimated 60,000 tonnes of waste each year. It meets the demands of commercial interiors without the environmental impact of traditional vinyl alternatives.

Two Years in Development

The development of Renasci™ required extensive experimentation to perfect the “recipe” for the waste mix. Over two years, the team trialed and refined different formulas to balance strength, flexibility, and finish. A key breakthrough came with the creation of a scratch-and wear-resistant top layer that could be applied mechanically, eliminating the need for glue or chemical bonding agents. The result is a product that is both sustainable and high-performing.

Renasci Flooring By Milliken

The partnership between Milliken and saveBOARD is built on shared values and a commitment to sustainability. SaveBOARD contributed machinery and material expertise, while Milliken brought funding, a deep knowledge of the flooring industry and the ability to innovate and commercialise the product. By joining forces they have created a solution that has the potential to transform the global flooring industry.

Renasci™ also plays a key role in Milliken’s broader N/XT LIFE™ Circularity Program, which drives the company’s commitment to long-term sustainability and product stewardship.

“At Milliken, our purpose is to positively impact the world around us for generations to come,” says Deo. “With Renasci™, we’re giving waste a second life and providing the industry with a new path forward.”

Through innovation and collaboration, Milliken and saveBOARD have demonstrated that even the most difficult challenges can be overcome with collaboration. It also shows the importance of conversation and interacting with materials at trade events like the Green Design Show at Decor + Design, which is attended by buyers from across the sector and is a crucial platform for new products. A buyer from Bunnings also spotted saveBOARD’s potential at the Green Design Hub and selected it for retail.

The Green Design Show is co-located with Decor + Design, Australia’s definitive destination for the interior design industry. The third edition of the Green Design Show take place from 15 – 17 July 2026 at Melbourne Exhibition Centre, showcasing collaborations in the industry that are transforming the design industry sustainably. If you’re a brand with sustainable products and you’re interested in taking part, please get in touch with out exhibition team.

If you’d like to visit, register now to receive updates on the innovations that will be on display.