Enviromental Issues Carpet

The backing materials along with supplying most of a carpet s weight often bring environmental and health issues.

Enviromental issues carpet.

The carpet industry is minimizing carpet s impact on the environment through the new 3 rs which stand for reduce reuse and recycle. Pollution issues the clean water act indicates that any water with chemical in it cannot be discharged into a storm drain or on to the ground. When carpet reaches the end of its long life it is reused to make new carpet or is recycled into a variety of products including roofing shingles railroad ties and automotive parts. The carpet and rug institute offers green label testing and certification to indicate carpet carpet backings cushions and adhesives that emit low vocs reducing the environmental footprint.

What you smell with new carpet is the evaporation of the chemicals or off gassing that make up a conventional carpet of nylon fibres with a plastic backing. Broader environmental issues. The most common carpets today have nylon face fibers that are stitched into a polypropylene primary backing. Sb latex for example is made of several toxic ingredients and its offgassing is frequently the source of the distinct new carpet smell.

The problem is that local agencies required to enforce the regulations of the clean water act are not consistent in their enforcement giving carpet cleaners along with mobile car washers and mobile. Indoor air quality impacts of the materials were not considered in this dutch study which pronounced natural linoleum the clear winner followed by. Similarly an environmental lifecycle assessment comparison of linoleum vinyl wool carpet and nylon carpet from the university of utrecht in the netherlands put the nylon carpet at the bottom. The fibers are locked in place with a coating of styrene butadiene latex sb latex sometimes called sbr for styrene butadiene rubber adhesive on the underside.

Carpet however is no laughing matter and up to now it hasn t been deserving of much respect from the ecologically conscious. Keep carpet away from entrances where. Energy and environmental issues have become one of the most important problems of common concern and one of the first problems needing to be solved by mankind to further sustainable development.