Choosing the perfect rug for your home can be a hard decision. A quality rug will often come with a big price tag, so you want to make sure you're choosing the right one for your family.
Here are a few of our favourite materials, all eco-friendly, that suit a range of different home styles.
Wool
Wool isn’t treated with toxic chemicals or processed with synthetic dyes.
For this reason it’s a good choice for anyone allergic to these types of chemicals. Wool can purify air pollution for up to thirty years, as although it can absorb pollutants, it “breathes” them out again.
Combine a new wool carpet with underfloor heating. Find the perfect option for you at an electric floor heating store.
Sisal
These particular carpets are made from the agave sisalana. The plant is thought to have originated in Mexico but now is found all over the world, making it a very sustainable resource.
The sisalana plant fibres are woven into a rope-like texture. This is then coated to make it stain-resistant. The result is very durable and adds a bold amount of texture.
This doesn’t make sisal carpets uncomfortable however and they will be softened in time underfoot.
Recycled Carpets
Companies such FLOR create custom flooring from recycled materials. FLOR carpets come in tiles with the idea that if one is damaged then you don’t have to replace the entire floor. They make the tiles out of mostly reclaimed carpets, and fibers like nylon, PET and nylon blends. All their tiles meet or exceed the Green Label Plus standards for VOC emissions.
Recycled PET carpeting is made from used plastics. These can include milk and soda bottles. The plastics form a very durable carpet and retain color and resist fading. The pricing of PET carpeting is similar to that of synthetic carpets. When it’s worn out, the carpet itself can then be recycled to become car parts, insulation or furniture stuffing.
Jute Rugs
Jute rugs are woven from plant fibres too and the make-up is similar to that of burlap. Jute comes from the corchorus plant which is tall and flowering. The majority of the plant is cultivated along the Ganges river, where it thrives on the monsoon weather. Jute rugs are best for low-traffic areas in the home however as they are not as durable as other carpets. The fibres are much finer and more delicate. This means jute rugs and carpets are very soft and suitable for bedroom decorations.
Everstrand
A popular choice by the brand Mohawk, and one of the cleanest and most sustainable types of carpet for your home.
Their patented process purifies highest-grade polymers to remove dirt-attracting residue, and strengthen the fiber. This results in a longer lasting carpet made with 100% recycled plastics.
It comes in many designs and textures so you can build an eco-friendly home that you can enjoy for years to come, without compromising on style.
