Eco-Friendly Carpeting? Really?
Okay, so we’re only a few days away from closing on our new house. We’ve been terribly busy and it’s only going to get crazier!
We finally had a chance to take a look at our flooring options. We stopped by a local carpet store to look at what is available. The first thing we did was explain our situation - we moved to Columbus, Ohio from Los Angeles and we’re buying a house. We told the salesman that we’re going to be making it a “green” remodeling project. At one point, acknowledging that we were from California (which is almost a bad word here in Ohio), he called us “those kinda people” when we told him we wanted more green carpeting options. It was funny. He backpedaled but we think it was a Freudian slip…
Now. I know carpet isn’t the most eco-friendly flooring choice for our new house. Many truly want a green home without all the baggage that carpeting has. But you can only put so much cord and bamboo flooring in your house (and, yes, those two will be going into the house) before you say, “enough!” But we’re only going to be putting it in our living room and in the bedrooms upstairs. There is already a nice hardwood floor throughout most of the 1st floor and there is tile in the kitchen. I’m going to put in cork planks in one bedroom upstairs (my office) and I’m going to put bamboo in the dining room.
At the store, we asked if there were any green carpet lines. It turns out there is. And it was in the waaaaay ass-backend of the store. Behind a curtain. Down a flight of steps. Under a hanging bare bulb. Where only Californians would dare venture. Just kidding…
There are many types of carpet. Wool, nylon, polyester, and more. Many claim to be stain-resistant but our last carpet in our house in L.A. was made from polyester and it was too dirty to be cleaned after 2 years. We decided we go with nylon because it wears longer, has better stain fighting treatment, and can be recycled.
Nylon comes in two types - Type 6.6 and Type 6. Both can be recycled back into carpeting. This means that it can be considered “cradle to cradle.” This is the ultimate in green options. Anything that can come from a recycled product and then turned back in to be recycled to create that product again is designated cradle to cradle. Nylon is made from oil, which is non-recyclable, but one the carpet is made it can stay carpet for a long time.
Shaw is a company that makes Anso Premier carpeting. The Anso nylon comes with a great wear and stain 15-year warranty, a great color selection, and lots of texture choices. And, I discovered that it comes with a green “thank you” rebate of $1.50 per yard (40 yard min.) on your next carpet purchase (good for 5 years and it’s transferable to friends & family.) Their carpeting contains recycled content and the nylon 6.6 fiber can be recycled and turned back into carpet again.
So, we’re going to try it in our new house once we move in. If you’re shopping for carpeting, ask a lot of questions and see if there are any green options available where you live. The prices are reasonable and in line with standard carpeting. And most of the carpet lines now are low in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can affect indoor air quality. Make sure there is a CRI Indoor Air Quality Carpet Testing Green label available on your choices.
