February 13 was the day: the first fully recyclable red carpet at the Berlinale – made by OBJECT CARPET – was rolled out in front of Berlin’s “Theater am Potsdamer Platz.” Just a few days before the start of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, preparations for Germany’s largest film extravaganza are in full swing. Before the eyes of the world turn once again to the capital city between February 15 and 25, 2024, invited journalists had the opportunity to get an exclusive look behind the scenes and witness live how the most sustainable red carpet Made in Germany took its deserved place in the spotlight.
OBJECT CARPET and the Berlinale – a perfect match. Just like the Berlinale itself, the family-owned company from Stuttgart has been committed to significantly reducing its ecological footprint for quite some time – and continually impresses with its innovative and sustainable solutions. In the past, it was the remarkable resilience of OBJECT CARPET’s red carpet that sparked enthusiasm. Now a spectacular new feature has been added: the traffic red NYLTECC, which has already set the scene for numerous movie stars, now consists of just two materials and, thanks to spectacular DUO technology, is now recyclable – again and again. Unlike conventional carpets, which consist of over 30 materials, both components can be fully reintegrated into the material cycle at the end of their service life – without producing any waste or losing any material. The innovation, which OBJECT CARPET began developing 10 years ago, enables the two layers of material to be completely separated from each other through heat at the end of the carpet’s service life before being fully recycled. The owner of the family business, Daniel Butz, is happy with this process: “We are proud that our innovative DUO technology is making an important and tangible contribution to a sustainable future without waste and material excess.”
Each and every detail has also been carefully considered at the Berlinale: Great care is taken not to waste valuable material, even when laying the carpet. All materials leftover from laying the carpet are collected in big bags and taken away for further recycling. Attentive observers were even able to catch a glimpse of the R2R label on the back of the carpet during the professional installation, which guarantees that DUO carpets from OBJECT CARPET are recognized as recyclable once they have been used and are returned to the supplier Aquafil.
This year, the stars of the film industry will be strolling down a red carpet that is not only impressively resilient, but also an essential part of the recycling economy.