Eco Friendly

Most traditional carpets contain many non-biodegradable materials, meaning that they will clog up landfills for up to 20,000 years. Millions of carpets and rugs are disposed of as household waste each year, resulting in considerable damage to the environment through pollution. You can help to minimize this impact by thinking carefully about how you dispose of your old carpet. Perhaps you could donate it to be used by others or even recycle. In some places, it may be possible to purchase from a company that will offer these two services – or you may be able to find a specialist carpet recycler. Remember also that a professional carpet repairer can inject new life into your carpets through reweaving, refringing, dyeing or even just mending your old carpets. The Rug Doctor section can assist you with advice on how to maintain and maximize the lifespan of your individual carpet - this ensures recycling becomes less frequent.

The type of carpet you choose makes the most difference to the environment. Nowadays, with the growing awareness of ‘green issues’, many companies are offering alternative products which provide you with an environmentally-friendly option. For example, there is now a wide range of carpets made from natural fibres that have had very little or no chemical treatment. The yarns may be dyed with vegetable or herbal dyes. They can also have backing and padding made of renewable natural fibres or 100% recycled material – and these can be attached with adhesives of a less toxic type than usual. Alternative to traditional, synthetic carpets include sisal, jute, hemp, seagrass and of course, pure wool.