It seems that everyone today is more concerned about the environment than ever before. When it comes to flooring it is very chic today to market products as “green.” Instead of “green”, I prefer to call these products eco-friendly because as I am about to point out there are many shades of “green” when it comes to carpet and the environment. In my mind everyone should consider whether the product actually reduces, reuses and/or recycles.

Probably the first of the eco-friendly carpets marketed as such were the residential carpets made from 100% post-consumer recycled food and drink containers. These carpets are made with PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) resins and have very little off gassing. While it is true that by purchasing one square yard of this carpet approximately forty plastic containers will bypass the landfill, what they fail to tell you is that carpet made of PET cannot be recycled again. In effect what you are doing is delaying the disposal into the landfill until the carpet is disposed of.

Carpet made from PET polyester requires less energy to produce than many of their counterparts and is extremely colorfast. Because polyester is inherently stain resistant it has been readily accepted as a carpet flooring fiber. Unlike nylon carpet it doesn’t require a chemical stain-resistance treatment or static treatment that may to wear off over time. Polyester also retains color much better than nylon so fading from the sun and cleaning is not an issue. Both of these attributes enhance the eco-friendly argument for using carpet made of polyester as one major reason for changing carpet is staining.

In spite of the above, this type of PET polyester is not without its problems. PET is not as resilient as nylon fiber carpet and as such tends to flatten faster which may lead to faster replacement. This fiber is also not very soft and is not as comfortable to walk on when compared to some of the other options. Finally, this product cannot be recycled more than one time.

A second option is Shaws Anso brand Nylon carpet. These carpets are made out of type 6.0 nylon which is 100% recyclable. Carpets made of Anso Nylon can be recycled over and over again. It is important to note that carpet made out of type 6.6 nylon as opposed to type 6.0 nylon are not currently recyclable. Hence all nylon carpet is not the same. Additionally, Anso Nylon is available in a soft nylon fiber that is much softer to the touch than regular nylon carpet. Anso nylon carpets come is numerous colors, patterns and designs so one doesn’t have to give up styling and fashion to be eco-friendly.

A third option for the eco-friendly consumer in Mohawk’s “SmartStrand” with DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer. This fiber is made from corn sugar. Thirty seven percent of the carpet fiber comes from renewably sourced ingredients that replace petroleum. Every seven square yards of Smartstrand saves the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. The neat thing about Smartstrand is that while it reduces the environmental footprint without compromising durability, texture and stain resistance. In fact, Smartstrand has the stain resistance of polyester but in fact offers one of the softest feeling carpets on the market.

Mohawk has also begun to offer their Wear-Dated brand of Nylon made from post-industrial fiber and polymer products created during the fiber manufacturing process. This product is consider eco-friendly as it is removing these products from the waste system if not forever as least through one additional lifecycle.

Last but certainly not least are carpets made of natural wool fiber. Some wool carpet is less eco-friendly depending on the contents of the backing and how the fiber is dyed. There are manufacturers that use only 100% bio-degradable contents and as such when they are ultimately disposed of will decompose in a landfill just as trees, brush and grass clipping do. The major disadvantage of these products, in addition to a premium cost, is their limitation on color and styling. Currently, it is significantly more expensive to manufacturer wool fiber into carpet without using any petrochemical resources or limited petrochemicals.

People who are truly eco-friendly will find these products to be the most environmentally friendly. The fact is that eventually almost every piece of carpet manufactured ends up in a landfill. Products made from wool fiber will decompose faster than those made of petrochemicals.

In conclusion, when it comes to eco-friendly carpet the choices continue to expand. It also appears that the premium for eco-friendly products will continue for at least a while. However, with an increase in demand for eco-friendly carpet more will be produced and the premium should decrease which will make eco-friendly carpet a more affordable choice for their homes.