Some people consider it a luxury to have lush wall-to-wall carpeting. Others choose it as an inexpensive option in places they don't want to install flooring. No matter how you slice it, though, carpeting is not the best choice for your health or the planet. Carpeting fills up with dust and dirt that can aggravate allergies and asthma. Carpet and its backings can also be a major source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Many are made from petroleum products that contribute to our dependence on foreign oil.
It's also not easy to find places that recycle old carpets, so they often end up in landfills, but it's worth a call to your local municipal waste center to find out if there are any programs in your area.
Conventional floors are hardly the epitome of green. There are numerous concerns with many materials. Hardwood floors can contribute to deforestation and off-gas formaldehyde. The stains used to treat hardwood can release toxic fumes into the air. PVC may be cheap and durable, but nothing about it is eco-friendly. Toxic adhesives are often used to bond laminate flooring to subflooring. The following suggestions will help you make environment-friendly flooring choices.
Green
Consider alternatives to wall-to-wall carpeting. Use washable area rugs when possible. If you do buy carpeting, the American Lung Association suggests taking the following precautions: ask the retailer to unroll and air out the carpet in a well-ventilated area before delivering, leave during installation and, immediately after, open doors and windows to get more fresh air inside. You can request that the installer follow installation guidelines of the Carpet and Rug Institute, www.carpet-rug.com.
Greener
Carpet tiles are a great way to minimize waste because you just replace tiles as needed and the rest remain intact. The following products are your best bets in terms of eco-friendly manufacture and materials and end-of-life considerations:
Interface's FLOR line, www.interfaceinc.com, is made of low VOC-emitting materials, and the company recycles old tiles into new product.
Shaw's EcoWorx tile, www.shawgreenedge.com, is PVC free and made from recycled fibers. The company will pick up your old tiles for free.
Greenest
Buy carpets and rugs made from recycled or natural materials such as wool (ask your retailer to make sure any wool products haven't been treated with toxic moth repellants), alpaca or hemp. Some of these options can be pricey.
Choose rugs made of natural and sustainable materials such as wool, alpaca or hemp.
Try to recycle your worn-out carpet. Start by calling your municipal waste center or a local carpet dealer and ask if they recycle old carpet. Check the CARE website or Earth 911 for recyling facilities.
Decorate with area rugs rather than wall-to-wall carpet which can contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and trap dust and dirt.
