ResiLoop funds UTS study to guide safe end-of-life management for uplifted flooring

ResiLoop is pleased to announce its first Circularity Support Fund (CSF) project: a University of Technology Sydney (UTS) study titled “Managing legacy additives and restricted substances in the circular economy”. 

The project will deliver a practical industry guide to help address the challenges of recycling uplifted resilient flooring where, due to the age of the old flooring, the material may contain additives that are no longer utilised or acceptable in new products. With total resilient flooring waste estimated at around 60,000 tonnes, addressing uplifted flooring is essential to achieving circular outcomes at scale, and this UTS research is a step towards supporting safe end-of-life management for uplifted floorcoverings.


The research will identify legacy additive issues for products on the Australian market, review local and international policy and legislation to identify best practice approaches (including potential safe thresholds for recycled content), and evaluate the technical readiness of technologies used to identify, treat and recycle material streams containing legacy additives. It will also assess current end-of-life treatment options to clarify what’s viable today and what may require further development. It is expected that the guidelines may be useful for other sectors working with durable product waste streams.   


“Uplifted flooring is where the scale is, but because of the long use of resilient flooring products, it is also where the complexity sits. Recycling at scale will require a clear understanding of material compositions and the options available to identify, treat and manage any legacy additives safely. We look forward to this UTS research providing practical guidance to support decision-making, development of future recovery and recycling systems and helping ensure our members’ products are designed for circular pathways in the future.”
Sophi MacMillan, CEO, ResiLoop

ResiLoop launched its Circularity Support Fund (CSF) this year with $180,000 in funding available. $28,930.50 has been awarded to UTS for this 5-month project commencing December 2025. The Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence is a partner with UTS in the project. The remaining grant recipients from the first tranche to be announced shortly. The Fund offers competitive grants for projects that avoid resilient flooring waste through improved design, recovery, reuse and recycling. Funding may be directed to research, product and process trials, end-market development and initiatives that scale local recycling capacity. Details on the 2026 tranche will be released in the coming months. 

​See UTS video: