Eco-friendly Rug Advice
Aside from its color, what makes one rug green from the next? What to look for in eco-friendly rugs?
Dear Best House Floor Plans,
Recently, we remodeled our floors. Now, we want to buy eco-friendly rugs to add to our kids’ bedrooms and our media room. Can you tell me if there’s really such a thing as eco friendly rugs? And if so, what features are important?
- Trying to Go Green in Arkansas
Dear TTGIA:
Eco-friendly rugs are an excellent follow up to eco-flooring. From dying to the manufacturing process, traditional carpets are rich in toxins, dyes and require synthetic chemicals. If you’re looking for carpeting with eco-friendly qualities, here are five features to add to your criteria:
- Meets environmental regulations for recycling
- Outlasts conventional flooring
- Is 100 percent recyclable
- Requires minimal energy dependency in manufacturing and transport
- Promotes a healthy indoor environment
Another redeeming quality to look for in the eco-friendly rug is the way in which it is dyed. Unlike traditional carpeting that entails highly pollutant dyeing methods, eco-friendly rugs use less energy and have minimal effect on the carbon footprint.
Shop for eco friendly rugs that have been tested by the Environmental Protection agency. Also, the Carpet & Rug Institutes Indoor Air Quality Standards is an excellent resource for homeowners in quest of eco-friendly rugs.
For instance, Green Floor Residential Carpet has quite a collection of eco-friendly rugs. Most of their products are recycled from already used food and beverage containers. Also, the products have minimal if any volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Remember, a wealth of elements promotes allergens such as: mould spores, dust mites, animal dander, and pollen. As a result, the best eco-friendly rug requires green cleaning practices and does not contain the ethylene oxide.
While many companies use ethylene oxide, the chemical is not biodegradable or considered an eco-friendly rug.
Have a question on buying eco-friendly rugs, and other household products? Email us your question and we’ll do our best to answer your question in upcoming posts.
