Sustainable Carpets

Today Down:2:Earth has compiled a helpful list of sustainable carpet companies that are healthy for your home. The main problems with carpets is that once used, they generally end up in landfills. And some carpets contain backings with PVC’s which contain petroleum and are a danger for your health, especially if they are in your home. Now that I think of it, whenever we find something that is bad for the environment, it is bad for us humans as well. So let’s clean house!

Thankfully technology has brought the carpet industry a step further by implementing manufacturing processes that allow for more environmentally friendly productions. As consumers it is our responsibility to know how some companies are more sustainable than others, while understanding what goes into their manufacturing process, and the energy involved producing these carpets.

While these questions can’t always be easily answered we have done some research to help you make up your mind for the purchase of your next carpet.

Lees Carpet/ Mohawk Carpets
These two companies have partnered up and are a leading sustainable carpet company. Some of their technologies, like Lees’ Duracolor stain-resistant dye technology, will keep your carpet clean and make it last longer. Durability is something we look for. Most of their carpets are either made from recycled bottles or from recycled carpets – even better! Their backing system contains no PVC’s and they make them from recycled materials such as window shield wipers. They even use tires to make outdoor carpets. Mohawk company shows to have a social commitment as well as an environmental commitment by donating 25 cents per square yard sold from selected carpets for cancer research. They pretty much recycle everything in their manufacturing process from beginning to end. Wow – we applaud this.

Milliken Flooring Company
Are sustainable in their attempt to reduce their energy consumption and water usage by 50% in their manufacturing process. Since 1999 they have had zero waste dumped into landfills. Their carpets have no VOC off gassing and their backings are PVC free. Milliken’s Earth Square is a closed loop system where all carpets are made of 100% post consumer product.

Shaw Carpets
This company re-uses their carpets at a larger scale. They have a system where carpets are collected, brought to a central location where they are sorted into different fiber streams and then recycled to become new carpets. Their green label plus assures there is no off gassing emitted from their carpets. The fibers that they use for their carpets are nylon, polypropelyn, wool, and nylon type 6 which is used in their recycling system. As a company Shaw carpets has come up with green edge initiative which is a list of all the things they do as a company to be sustainable. For instance using dyes that are less toxic and need less water, and using epic hardwood floor made from recycled wood.

Interface Flooring Systems
Was the first company to come up with modualr carpet systems, this concept in environmental in and of itself because it eliminates the need to replace an entire carpet floor if there is only one section that is damaged. As a company they came up with Mission Zero which seeks to eliminate any sort of environmental damage the company may be causing by 2020. Finaly Interface uses recycled vinyl backing for their carpets which some claim is damaging to your health. They have great designs to boot – and we love that.

That’s all for today, tune in next week to find out about more sustainable items for your home.

Sustainably Yours
Nathalie Zegarra

Tags: carpet, design, Home

Boston Green Building Resource

Tags: building, carpet, countertops, floor