By George Davies Assistant director of marketing communications, Shaw
Carpet is not often considered a green product, and some of the fault of that lies in the persistent myth that it contributes to poor indoor air quality (IAQ). The truth is quite the contrary: An often overlooked advantage of carpet is its ability to improve a home’s environment.
Scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have concluded that carpet fibers can be beneficial in trapping and immobilizing potential allergy-causing particulates and preventing them from re-entering the indoor air stream, if the carpet is properly cleaned and maintained.
Moreover, not only is carpet one of the lowest emitters of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) among household furnishing and building materials, 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 hard surface 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 IAQ are an inherent part of basic design, and the Carpet & Rug Institute’s 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, it is a natural insulator, providing additional warmth in cold seasons. Its use in a wall-to-wall application actually increases the Rvalue, 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 and practices. In many ways, the flooring industry has been a leader in environmental stewardship and sustainability, and recognition of our achievements has enhanced our industry’s image in the green community.
Post-consumer use of carpet has increased, as manufacturers are committed to keeping their products out of landfills. When it comes to the different fibers used to make carpet there are many uses after their initial life. For example, nylon 6, can be recycled into the building block of new nylon fiber in a cradle-to-cradle process; nylon 6,6 can be recycled into engineered plastics, such as those used by the automotive industry, and post-consumer polypropylene can be reclaimed and used to make septic system drain pipes.
Our customers are also able to share in the success the industry has achieved in sustainable practices. By selling the environmentally preferable products we produce and helping to promote the collective image of the industry as a model steward of environmental responsibility, flooring retailers are a significant part of our collective green story. Consumers are quickly learning how attuned our industry is to issues of sustainability, and our achievements further enhance the industry’s green reputation.
Carpet is not often considered a green product, and some of the fault of that lies in the persistent myth that it contributes to poor indoor air quality (IAQ). The truth is quite the contrary: An often overlooked advantage of carpet is its ability to improve a home’s environment.
Scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have concluded that carpet fibers can be beneficial in trapping and immobilizing potential allergy-causing particulates and preventing them from re-entering the indoor air stream, if the carpet is properly cleaned and maintained.
Moreover, not only is carpet one of the lowest emitters of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) among household furnishing and building materials, 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 hard surface 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 IAQ are an inherent part of basic design, and the Carpet & Rug Institute’s 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, it is a natural insulator, providing additional warmth in cold seasons. Its use in a wall-to-wall application actually increases the Rvalue, 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 and practices. In many ways, the flooring industry has been a leader in environmental stewardship and sustainability, and recognition of our achievements has enhanced our industry’s image in the green community.
Post-consumer use of carpet has increased, as manufacturers are committed to keeping their products out of landfills. When it comes to the different fibers used to make carpet there are many uses after their initial life. For example, nylon 6, can be recycled into the building block of new nylon fiber in a cradle-to-cradle process; nylon 6,6 can be recycled into engineered plastics, such as those used by the automotive industry, and post-consumer polypropylene can be reclaimed and used to make septic system drain pipes.
Our customers are also able to share in the success the industry has achieved in sustainable practices. By selling the environmentally preferable products we produce and helping to promote the collective image of the industry as a model steward of environmental responsibility, flooring retailers are a significant part of our collective green story. Consumers are quickly learning how attuned our industry is to issues of sustainability, and our achievements further enhance the industry’s green reputation.
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