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In general carpets manufactured locally and carpets manufactured from natural materials such as wool, jute or goats hair should be selected in preference to man made alternatives. That said, the carpet selected should always be fit for the intended purpose and there is nothing environmentally responsible about selecting a carpet which will need to be replaced in a year because it is simply not durable enough for its location.
Often in commercial environments the demands on the carpet will be such that modular carpets manufactured from synthetic materials (or synthetic/ natural mixes) will be the most appropriate choice. While in domestic or less demanding locations natural materials and broadloom products are more likely to be the most appropriate choice. The durability of natural carpet materials can vary greatly. Goat hair carpets, for instance, are often used for heavy duty installations and synthetic material are often mixed with natural fibers such as wool to improve the performance of the product..
If choosing a broadloom carpet, one with a long wear warrantee and neutral color is likely to survive more time and changes in fashion. Synthetic broadloom or carpet tile will often have the longest wear warrantees. Their stain resistance and ease of cleaning will mean they are less likely to suffer irreparable damage while modular carpets have the advantage of allowing ease of replacement of all or just some of the damaged tiles. Regular maintenance is another issue for consideration. It is claimed for instance that solution dyed nylon requires less chemicals than wool carpets though the advantage of this is really only relevant in locations where high wear or hygiene require constant washing of the carpet.
If carpet manufactured from natural materials is to be used be careful to select a product with credible environmental certification such as the Environmental Choice labeling scheme as the dyes, cleaning agents and scouring chemical used in the processing of a material as seemingly benign as wool can be surprising. Likewise if a carpet manufactured from a synthetic material is selected a number of products are now available with dramatically improved environmental performance such as those manufactured from recycled materials, bio-based synthetic materials or carbon neutral manufacturing processes. In all cases select products which are certified under the Environmental Choice labeling scheme where such products are available.
Many synthetic carpet tiles (unlike broadloom carpets) do not require seam seals. Seam sealers are often a major source of VOCs which can be harmful to occupant health. Where seam sealers do need to be used, ensure you always select a low emission water base low VOC variety. The Specialchem website andUS Environmental Protection Agency website provides some good background on this subject. Natural carpet material and some manufacturers of synthetic broadloom carpet supply products which do not require seam sealers.
Broadloom carpets can be loose laid or fully adhered in general mechanical fixing and loose laying is generally preferable environmentally. The use of loose laying technique may not always be appropriate but will reduce the use of adhesives and improve the potential to remove and recycle the material on demolition. The lifespan or carpets can be significantly increase through the use of a good underlay. Underlays manufactured from 100% synthetic materials should be avoided as there are numerous types available manufactured from natural materials such as natural rubber or recycled wool scraps.
It is generally recognized that modular carpet tiles present the advantage of creating less waste from off cuts (1%-2%). However professional broadloom installers are attempting to close the gap (from 10% down to 5-6%) to be cost competitive at tender stage.
On demolition, carpets manufactured from natural materials are biodegradable and so can be disposed of easily. In fact a number of native planting schemes will reuse recycled carpet as weed mat. Numerous carpet manufacturers claim that there product is recyclable. Such claims should always be treated with caution as it is more than likely that there will be no recycling program in operation in New Zealand. In response to this a number of companies will now commit to removing and recycling their carpet products on demolition to recycle the material as feedstock for new products. This is a significant step forward.
Carpet backings for synthetic and modular carpets often contain bitumen or PVC backings. Both of these materials have been the subject of environmental controversy. Bitumen backing can contain sulpher and heavy metals such as lead, chromium, mercury, arsenic, selenium and other toxic elements so always opt for a manufacturer which has a proper buy back and recycling policy to ensure that these materials do not end up in landfills. If PVCs are in the backing, opt for materials with the highest recycled content and again opt for a manufacturer with a buy back and recycling policy. The use of PVCs is a heavily debated subject. Greenpeace provide one side of the argument while the PVC industry’s case can be found at the Australian vinyl industry website.
