Article Number: 3839
Shaw Carpet: A good environmental choice
By Mollie Allen, Marketing communications manager, Shaw Industries
Carpet is not often considered a green product, and some of the fault lies in the persistent myth that it contributes to poor indoor air quality. The truth is quite the contrary: An often overlooked advantage of carpet is its ability to improve a home’s environment. EPA scientists have concluded that carpet fibers can be beneficial in trapping and immobilizing potential allergy-causing particulates, preventing them from reentering the indoor air stream, if the carpet is properly cleaned and maintained.
Moreover, not only is carpet one of the lowest emitters of VOCs among household furnishing and building materials, but its quality of filtering particulate matter can also assist in removing airborne VOCs emitted from other sources. A study in Sweden in the 1990s determined that levels of particulate contaminants, bacteria and fungi in the indoor air in carpeted areas were always far below levels in the air above bare floors. Similar results have been obtained in other studies in American hospitals.
Extensive testing has clearly demonstrated that carpet will not harbor the growth of bacteria, mold or fungi. In fact, carpet’s contribution to a healthy indoor environment has led the American Lung Association to approve its use in the organization’s Healthy Homes programs.
Carpet’s beneficial effects on indoor air quality are an inherent part of basic design, and the Carpet & Rug Institute’s (CRI) Green Label and Green Label Plus testing programs ensure that consumers are purchasing the lowest emitting carpet, adhesive and cushion products available.
Carpet can also contribute to saving energy. Unlike other types of flooring, carpet is a natural insulator, providing additional warmth in cold seasons. Its use in a wall-to-wall application actually increases the R-value, or insulation level, of the carpeted area, potentially saving homeowners utility costs while reducing energy use.
The carpet industry also contributes to the environment with sustainable products. The term “cradle to grave” describes the process by which we take raw materials from the earth, make products and eventually send those products to overflowing landfills. Cradle-to-cradle production means products can be collected and returned to manufacturing of the original product again and again, as is the case with many carpets made from type 6 nylon, which can be recycled after use into new nylon carpets without the loss of any aesthetic or performance properties.
Carpet is not often considered a green product, and some of the fault lies in the persistent myth that it contributes to poor indoor air quality. The truth is quite the contrary: An often overlooked advantage of carpet is its ability to improve a home’s environment. EPA scientists have concluded that carpet fibers can be beneficial in trapping and immobilizing potential allergy-causing particulates, preventing them from reentering the indoor air stream, if the carpet is properly cleaned and maintained.
Moreover, not only is carpet one of the lowest emitters of VOCs among household furnishing and building materials, but its quality of filtering particulate matter can also assist in removing airborne VOCs emitted from other sources. A study in Sweden in the 1990s determined that levels of particulate contaminants, bacteria and fungi in the indoor air in carpeted areas were always far below levels in the air above bare floors. Similar results have been obtained in other studies in American hospitals.
Extensive testing has clearly demonstrated that carpet will not harbor the growth of bacteria, mold or fungi. In fact, carpet’s contribution to a healthy indoor environment has led the American Lung Association to approve its use in the organization’s Healthy Homes programs.
Carpet’s beneficial effects on indoor air quality are an inherent part of basic design, and the Carpet & Rug Institute’s (CRI) Green Label and Green Label Plus testing programs ensure that consumers are purchasing the lowest emitting carpet, adhesive and cushion products available.
Carpet can also contribute to saving energy. Unlike other types of flooring, carpet is a natural insulator, providing additional warmth in cold seasons. Its use in a wall-to-wall application actually increases the R-value, or insulation level, of the carpeted area, potentially saving homeowners utility costs while reducing energy use.
The carpet industry also contributes to the environment with sustainable products. The term “cradle to grave” describes the process by which we take raw materials from the earth, make products and eventually send those products to overflowing landfills. Cradle-to-cradle production means products can be collected and returned to manufacturing of the original product again and again, as is the case with many carpets made from type 6 nylon, which can be recycled after use into new nylon carpets without the loss of any aesthetic or performance properties.
 |