Grave Matters
Grave Matters follows families who found in “green” burial a more natural, more economic, and ultimately more meaningful alternative to the tired and toxic send-off offered at the local funeral parlor.
Eschewing chemical embalming and fancy caskets, elaborate and costly funerals, they have embraced a range of natural options, new and old, that are redefining a [...]
What’s In Your Carpet?
I was shopping in a home store this week and saw a really nice carpet. When I read the tag to see what it was made of, the tag said it was made of unknown man-made fibers. I kid you not. Not exactly compelling advertising, huh? Of course I left it in the store. If the manufacturer doesn’t know what the product is made of, who does? Although, carpet is a traditional floor covering in most homes in the United States, contemporary carpets are not a healthy or environmentally sustainable product.
Modern carpets are made of synthetic fibers such as nylon, acrylic, polyester, or polypropylene. Carpets are also treated with fire retardants, anti-static treatments, fungicides, and dye — of course. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) containing adhesives add to the dangerous chemical mix. Adding insult to injury, it’s backed with polyurethane, synthetic latex, or PVC. Since it can’t be recycled, it goes into the landfill. These materials can be toxic, and contain a number of chemicals that often leach into the ground and water supply over the years.
If you’re concerned about your decor’s ecological impact, avoiding this kind of carpeting is important. Instead of a traditional carpet, think outside the box and look for other options. There are healthier, greener carpets out there that will work just as well.
You can improve the situation by buying carpet with a low VOC adhesive or by installing modular carpet tiles, so that a single piece can be replaced instead of the entire floor. Keep in mind the resources used in making carpet are still non renewable and not the healthiest of options. Fortunately, there are some ecologically friendly alternatives available.
Carpets made from recycled materials are becoming more popular. These carpets are made of discarded plastic bottles, wool, cotton, nylon, and even old carpet. These products would have otherwise gone to the landfill. You can also get recycled carpet pads. Tacking your carpet to the floor instead of gluing it removes concerns about VOCs from adhesives, and the carpet remains attractive and soft.
Before the age of synthetics, carpets were made from cotton or wool and vegetable dyes for color. You can still get natural fiber carpet made from wool or cotton which are biodegradable and renewable. This carpeting has a richer texture and lasts longer, as well as naturally being resistant to dirt, fire, static, and moisture.
Synthetic carpets became popular because of their resistance to stains, but this comes at the price of chemicals. Wool carpet is also less hospitable to dust mites than synthetics. However, most wool carpeting is treated with an anti-moth chemical, which may off gas. Look for untreated wool carpet with a jute backing that is dyed with natural colors. This material is more expensive than a synthetic, but it’ll last longer and feel better.
Plant fibers are another option. Since they are biodegradable and VOC free they are a green choice. Also, sisal and sea grass carpeting also a possibility. Carpeting made of jute, coconut fibers (coir), and abaca are also popular. They’re usually backed with urethane or latex, and may be undyed. That’s because many plant fibers don’t dye well. If you like the natural green or tans of sisal and coir, however, they make excellent choices.Enjoy this post? Leave a comment below and add to the discussion. Thanks!
- 21 Comments
- Tags:
ingilizce çeviri (6)
Olesya Novik (4)
Gluten Free Recip... (2)
Lica@Carpet Shamp... (2)
My main problem is practicality. When you have dogs and you need to wash the carpet every week, cotton simply doesn’t hold up as well as synthetics.
ReplyI gave up a while ago trying to escape the chemicals and other toxins used to make modern carpet. There are
Replyplenty of eco friendly carpet alternatives that look better, last longer and won’t make you sick. Great article by the way.
We are getting a dog soon and so we need to think about what our carpets are made from and how easy they are to wash. We do not currently wash our carpets very often at all, like once every couple of years maybe.
ReplyTwitter: frommoneyorg
said-
Great article. Gives me a lot to think about. I have terribles allergies in my own home but whenever I go on vacation, I don’t suffer at all. We haven’t had pets to speak of for year. It makes me wonder if there’s something with or in the carpets.
ReplyJohnnysakz´s last blog ..NOVA: Solar Energy – Saved by the Sun
I recently had to carpet my whole house due to water damage from floods. The new material that carpets are made from seem to very durable compared to just a few years back. Hopefully it will last a long time with a few dogs and 2 kids.
ReplyAlicia@Candle Wall Sconces´s last blog ..Candle Wall Sconces: Brass Iron Light Sconces
Twitter: BaliVilla
said-
I will try not to put carpet on public place or put it on more private place…
Replyi’m afraid to even find out, it was here when i moved in and could be full of surprises. good heads up though.
ReplyFantastic post. It is hard to choose the right carpet, and it takes alot of patience and research. Also, like you mentioned, it’s important to know exactly what is in your carpet. You don’t want your family to be allergic to it, and you also want it to be environmentally friendly.
ReplyWool is a good choice for carpet in the home. Unfortunately this does not mean that the carpet is sustainable. As the backings of the carpets are more often than not made from man made materials such as nylon.
ReplyThis is a great article, and it sure gives me something to think about. I’m thinking about getting a recycled carpet. Thanks for the information.
ReplyDavid@Bissell Carpet Cleaners´s last blog ..Bissell Spot Lifter
It’s really scary thinking about the toxic gases released from synthetic carpeting if your home catches on fire. Flame retardants won’t work if the fire gets hot enough. If you’re sleeping on the 2nd floor and the fire is on the first floor beneath you it would not be good.
ReplyMarc@xbox 360 troubleshooting´s last blog ..Xbox Troubleshooting: Red Ring of Death Fix updated Fri Nov 6 2009 5:12 am CST
We are getting a dog soon and so we need to think about what our carpets are made from and how easy they are to wash.
Replyrunner@http://runnersknee.onlythisnthat.com´s last blog ..Runner’s Knee
Most carpet is in fact toxic. People would probably be healthier if they chose tile or hardwood. And you can not clean a synthetic carpet and magically make it non toxic. But nothing is going to change until consumers are educated and begin to vote with their dollars.
Replycarpet cleaning´s last blog ..Carpet Cleaning Pensacola
It’s amazing how complicated a seemingly simple thing like carpet can truly be! Thanks for the post!
ReplyThanks for some great info – I had no idea about the chemicals in synthetic carpets that render it impossible to recycle or biodegrade properly. I will certainly be considering the points you raise and looking for natural or recycled materials when we look for a new carpet next year! But I fear that for most people, as the recession hits harder, the cheaper option will override the greener option…
ReplyThanks we got some new carpet and made sure that it could be recycled in the future.
ReplyCarpet is not necessary for us. we only put it on private area like bedroom. Because i think that when we put carpet on public area, it hard to maintain.
ReplyDavid@bali accommodation´s last blog ..Villa Amman / 4 Bedroom Designer
It is outstanding post. It is not easy to select the perfect carpet, as it takes lot of research and patience. It is very true that we should actually know what is there in your carpet. As, you don’t want your family to suffer from any allergy.
ReplyRobert´s last blog ..Xbox 360 Red Ring Of Death Fix – How To Guide updated Sat Oct 24 2009 8:21 am CDT
Carpet make my house more perfect. If I have to pay more to clean it, I don’t mind. It’s for the safety of my children.
ReplyLica@Carpet Shampooer´s last blog ..What will happen if Your Carpet is Dirty?
It was very helpful for me. ingilizce türkçe çeviri
Reply[...] sit down on that warm carpet to open presents, it will be a healthier experience. Mind Mart asks What’s In Your Carpet? Traditional floor coverings are full of chemical treatments and leach all manner of things into [...]