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You Should CARE about Carpet Waste

Copyright © 2008 Rugs Direct^®

There are many reasons why wood floors are preferable to wall-to-wall carpeting, and not all of them are aesthetic. Just ask Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Center for Children’s Health and the Environment at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. According to Dr. Landrigan, “Wall-to-wall carpets are a sink for dirt, dust mites, molds and pesticide residues. I much prefer smaller, washable rugs of natural fiber.” Rugs can easily be cleaned, which kills house dust mites – those nasty microscopic bugs whose droppings trigger so many asthma and allergy reactions. Plus you can regularly clean the floor underneath.

Interestingly, Dr. Landrigan, just like those of us at Rugs Direct, highly recommends the use of a top-quality non-slip pad underneath your rugs…especially if there are children in the home.

So if you’re building a new home, the choice is easy. Install wood floors throughout the house and decorate with natural-fiber rugs. A real no-brainer!

But what if your home already has wall-to-wall carpeting installed? First, check underneath. It could be hiding some beautiful, natural wood flooring. To get to it, all you need to do is remove and discard the carpeting, right? If only it was that easy!

Although not so much as in the past, some carpeting contains some rather toxic chemicals that are used in the manufacturing process. This is more prevalent in the bindings and glues than the actual fibers with which you come in contact. But the process of removing the carpet can suddenly spew toxic dust into the air, so you need to protect yourself much as if you were removing dangerous insulation. If you’re uncertain how to do this safely, seek professional help.

But the situation gets worse. What do you do with the old carpet? Unfortunately most people send it to a landfill by putting it in the trash. More than FIVE BILLION pounds of carpet ends up there each year. That’s a lot of nylon, polypropylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, latex and calcium carbonate that’s never going anywhere. That mountain of carpet is still going to be there thousands of years from now, unless we come up with an alternative.

Well, someone has. In fact, the industry has. It’s called CARE. – the Carpet America Recovery Effort. This non-profit organization was created in 2002 specifically to educate and encourage Americans to recycle used wall-to-wall carpeting. Since then, approximately 745 million pounds of old carpet have been recovered. The goal is to divert 40% of waste carpet by the year 2012. The prediction is that there will be about seven billion pounds of discarded carpet by then. If 40% is recycled, that’s 2.8 billion pounds that doesn’t end up in landfills.

Currently there are 56 Carpet Reclamation Centers through the United States. The organization is actively seeking to add more all the time. To find the location of the one nearest you, please click here.

One issue CARE. faces is that recycling used carpet is expensive. Most people see their old carpeting as trash and getting rid of it should be free. But the process of recycling involves not only picking up the carpeting, but identifying what kind of face fiber was used, break it down into the components used, convert these components into a form that can be used to make new products and transport that material to the manufacturing location. It generally costs between five to 25 cents per pound of old carpet to recycle it. (A square yard typically weighs four to five pounds.)

So what kinds of things can be made from old carpeting? You’d be surprised!

A great deal of construction-industry products can be manufactured from old carpets: composite lumber, both decking and sheets, tile backer board, roofing shingles, railroad ties and cushions. Quite a few automotive parts can be fashioned out of old carpeting. For information on once company that is doing a great deal to create new products from recycled carpeting, please click here.

As an added benefit, many of these products actually last longer than those they replace. This cuts down on the need for new raw materials and the energy necessary to process them. In addition, recovery of the energy content of old carpet, since it is made from crude oil as a raw material, is an important consideration related to future oil dependency. As a simple example, let's assume you have a 20' x 25' room and you recycle the old carpeting instead of discarding it. You will permit the recovery of 73 gallons of oil used to create this carpet and 1.6 million BTUs of energy. You'll also be keeping 747 pounds of non-degradable trash out of a landfill. It will probably cost you about $100 to recycle this room's old carpet, which seems an awfully small price to pay for the enormous benefit!

CARE deserves the full support of the flooring industry, construction and housing concerns, government and all environmentally concerned citizens. To learn more, please visit their website, or you may request further information by clicking here.

Following is a list of CARE’s Board of Directors

Paul Ashman - Environmental Recovery Consolidation Services (ERCS)
Steve Bradfield - Shaw Industries Inc.
Russ DeLozier - Shaw Industries Inc.
Frank Endrenyi - Mohawk Group Inc.
Matthew Ewadinger - North Carolina Recycling
John Glenn - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Bill Gregory - Milliken & Company
Ron Greitzer - L.A. Fiber Company Inc.
Garth Hickle - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Frank Hurd - The Carpet and Rug Institute
Stuart Jones - Interface
Brendan McSheehy, Jr. - Universal Fiber Systems LLC
Robert Peoples, Ph.D. - CARE Executive Director &The Carpet and Rug Institute
Stephen Steele - NYCORE
Fred Williamson - StarNet commercial flooring Cooperative Inc

How Area Rugs Affect Your Environment

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

Guest author: Ron Neal

Over the years, a debate has taken place in the flooring industry over the impact its products have on the environment. In 2003, a group of industry researches and technical specialists met at the University of North Carolina to examine the science with regard to the positive or negative attributes of materials found in products like carpeting, area rugs and linoleum.

The panel looked at hundreds of studies in relation to how carpet and non-carpet materials contribute to environmental quality and whether there's a significant concern with toxic substances and allergens alleged to have commonly been found.

The intention of the researchers was to try and settle years of anecdotal evidence and set an industry standard to help buyers and sellers of flooring products. A good portion of the information reviewed came from the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Health Science Libraries, and other previously published industry experts.

A review of all of the literature led to one major conclusion: materials found in flooring "play a significant role to the quality of life indoors." It contributes to healthy design factors, safety, aesthetics, climate control, ergonomics and physical comfort. When maintained properly, carpeting and area rugs are not at all risks to public health.

While the group's conclusion was great news for the industry and the public, it's still necessary to examine flooring's impact on the whole environment, including the part played by rugs and flooring made from natural materials.

With so many types of area rugs available today, it's hard enough to make a style selection, let alone having to take health and environmental concerns into account. Keeping rugs clean and in good condition will go a long way in alleviating any concerns. Area rugs do have material differences, though. Here's a quick look at natural fiber rugs and other natural flooring:

WOOL RUGS
Water, water everywhere, so keep it away from wool. Water is one of the biggest enemies of wool rugs. Wool, popular in Oriental rugs, has a high moisture regain and is susceptible to microorganism attack. That may sound like the bad plot to a Hollywood horror film or an episode of Fear Factor. Nevertheless, keep something that requires water, like potted plants, off of wool rugs.

Water aside, wool's long, coarse fibers have the ability to maintain indoor air quality and, unlike synthetic fibers, can absorb indoor contaminants. Since discarded carpet accounts for a tremendous amount of waste – 4.7 billion pounds in 2002 according to the EPA – any rug that lasts longer, like a hand-knotted wool rug, is going to get the seal of approval from the Green Party.

JUTE RUGS
Once used primarily as carpet backing, Jute has made it to the big time. As a full-fledged member of the area rug and carpet family, Jute, which ranges from light tans to browns, is one of the finest and softest of natural floor covering materials.

Composed mainly of plant materials, Jute is a rainy season crop that grows best in warm, humid climates like parts of China and India. While it may grow in rainy weather, the Jute rug won't stand up to areas with high moisture levels. Unlike wool, jute is resistant to microorganisms, but the material will in fact deteriorate rapidly when exposed to moisture.

BAMBOO RUGS
Gilligan's Island no longer corners the market on bamboo flooring. You don't need to live in a hut to use this material.

Bamboo, which is also a trend in cutting boards and hardwood floors, has become a popular option for area rugs. And its environmental friendliness is obvious. No trees to cut down, no waste. Bamboo is technically a grass, and moreover a highly renewable resource. Maturing in less than six years, bamboo is harvested over and over from the same plants. Its strength combined with a natural beauty can add a contemporary touch to any living space.

SEAGRASS RUGS
Seagrass is not something you may have thought was illegal. You can't grow it in your backyard, but it does look great in the house. Created from tropical grass mainly imported from China, Seagrass, which only comes in a natural organic green color, is smooth to the touch and extremely durable and stain resistant.

SISAL RUGS
Sisal is another natural fiber that has recently gained popularity among designers. The material is derived from a cactus plant, grown in semi-arid regions liked Brazil and Africa.

Sisal is stronger and more durable than other natural fibers, making its staying power ultra-environment friendly. Water is not Sisal's friend, either. The rug should never be used in the bathroom or other moist areas of the house.

About the author:
Based in Los Angeles, Ron Neal is a free-lance writer, editor and owner of Writemind Media.  With more than 20 years of experience, including six at the Los Angeles Times, Mr. Neal has produced and edited hundreds of articles on a variety of subjects, including flooring, home improvement and area rugs of all kinds, including braided and sisal.

Article Source: Ezine

To shop for area rugs in thousands of styles including ecologically friendly materials, visit the online showroom at Rugs Direct.

Why Wool?

Copyright © 2007  Rugs Direct®

Although many fine-quality area rugs are made of fibers other than wool, to a purist - especially when it comes to Oriental rugs - there is nothing that matches the natural beauty and properties of natural wool. But not just any wool, mind you. It even matters from which part of the sheep the wool is taken, where the sheep was raised and even how old it is!

Wool from the shoulder and flank sections is regarded as the most desirable fleece on a sheep. Sheep from high, mountainous regions have longer fleece, which is also highly desirable. There is debate over whether wool taken in the winter or summer is better. Winter fleece can create thicker and heavier wool, while spring fleece is softer and finer. Each has its own benefits. Lambs that are between eight and 14 months old produce a very excellent wool called "kork." It is very thin and silky and actually became popular in England before finding its way to the Middle East.

So why is wool considered such a superior material for area rugs? There are seven generally agreed-upon reasons:

• Wool resists wrinkles. It is resilient and springs back into shape quickly.
• Wool resists soiling. Because the fiber is so complex, dirt and stains have a hard time penetrating it.
• Wool is durable. Again, because of the multi-part, complex fiber, it resists wear better than almost any other natural or most man-made materials.
• Wool repels moisture. Liquids simple don't penetrate wool very well. It actually sheds water.
• Wool retains its shape. The same properties that help wool resist wrinkles also help it keep its shape and size.
• Wool resists flames. It is amazingly fire-retardant and does not support sustained combustion.
• Wool insulates. Just like wool clothing is comfortable in all seasons because of the layer of air it keeps next to the skin, wool rugs insulate the floor from any major temperature changes.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, wool is an all-natural fiber that is completely renewable and recyclable. You can enjoy your all-wool area rug free from guilt! And about how many products can you comfortably say that today?