Carpet Matters

Introduction

I believe it really matters which carpet we recommend and specify for environmental as well as aesthetic reasons. My mantra when selecting products is: “take time, go deep and enjoy”. I have taken the time to do some research and hope this will shed light on how we can invest in good flooring.

We now know that the buildings and construction sector is responsible for ~40% of global energy-related carbon emissions and 50% of all extracted materials. We are also more aware of the challenge of waste products, land fill, the destructive nature of plastics in our oceans and waterways and geologically the strata of plastic we have been laying down. Thankfully, we are being encouraged to choose products which can go from “cradle to cradle” - i.e. be reused, repurposed, or recycled, and not go from “cradle to grave” and contribute to landfill and worse. The first R of sustainability is “Refuse” - and so we should opt NOT to use products which cannot have a potentially “circular” lifespan.  We need to favour long-lasting, preferably natural products which, when no longer needed, can be taken up and repurposed or recycled.

CONTENT

Natural or unnatural

Flooring is a massive subject. Newer options for flooring include oiled EARTHFLOORS and polished HEMPCRETE, BAMBOO and CORK as well as precious WOOD (reclaimed solid or laminated is best). But what if you want to soften your floor and add some colour with some wool carpet or sisal?

The UK, France and Germany love fitted carpet and it is a HUGE market, which is why we need to get the industry environmentally ship shape. There are several factors to consider: What the product is made of, where it is shipped from, how the product is made, the energy to produce it and how it can be disposed of or repurposed at the end of its life.

What it is made of and where it is shipped from

Wool remains a great product, although my vegan interior designer friends have pointed out that it is of course a bi-product of the meat market. I have recently attended a farmers talk in West Berkshire on “Diversification” with the planet in mind and they defended farming with cattle. These are mob-grazed, requiring no fertilizers (or sheds) and encourage the activity of nitrogen-fixing dung beetles .... Food for another article!  I certainly admired the many varieties of sheep I saw on my Lock-Down walks, grazed on otherwise unusable land. Wool as a product is natural, warm, insulating, healthy to breathe, hard wearing and relatively easy to clean. It is naturally flame-retardant, can help control the humidity of a room and provides good acoustic performance. For years we have favoured wools from New Zealand, for their softness and ability to be dyed, but we can also choose to source carpets made from locally produced British wools (we do have 40 varieties!) which are particularly hardwearing with good bounce back. These include Brockway, Brintons and Wools of Cumbria (who will also dye match their 100% wool “Colourwash Rough Fell cream” twist for orders over 50m). Many carpets are made with a mixture of 80% wool and 20% nylon. This was deemed to make the carpet more hardwearing and longer lasting for the commercial market. Tough, British wools should perform well, and if 100% wool, the carpet will be able to biodegrade as well and being excellent for composting! Hemp rugs and carpets are being produced in America, and as a crop which grows well in the UK, it would be good to see these made in the UK in the future. Hemp is already being used by Harrison Spinks in their mattresses along with UK grown Flax.

Synthetic carpets have been increasingly popular due to their affordability, ease of cleaning and because they are less prone to being eaten by moths.

The drawback with 100% wool has been a recent moth problem in the UK. Moth larvae enjoy munching on wool carpets, especially under rarely moved furniture, and can be carried into the home on clothes and feet. Most carpets are sold as moth ‘resistant’ or moth ‘proof’ (e.g. Brockway carpets carry a guarantee of up to 5 years; whereas Wools of Cumbria and Roger Oates don’t treat their carpets – because they don’t want to use the chemicals in their factories for the health of their workers and because they have clients who want to buy chemical free carpets).  One of the chemicals which used to be applied is called Permethrin, but this was banned in the UK in 2002 and 2018 as it is detrimental to aquatic life. Those which are dyed and treated inhouse apparently can be sold as “moth proofed”. There are some natural preventatives on the market – e.g. a spray by Purdy & Figg. Personally, I favour actual bunches of Lavender, Thyme, Bay or Rosemary – placed under furniture where it is harder to hoover. Once the carpet is laid, it is a good idea to hoover regularly, particularly in the darker corners and under furniture. The larvae feed off keratin – the protein in our hair, nails, and skin. An Austrian company, Lehner ISOLENA, have produced a biocide free, ‘plasma ion treatment’ of wool, branded IONIC protect, for their insulation products – but this has yet to be applied to the carpet industry.

The use of hardwearing carpet made from virgin polyester and polypropylene (PP) - has increased dramatically, both in the commercial and domestic market. This is fine, if it is kept for a generation, and then disposed of properly, but there is a fashion for renewing carpet every 5-7 years, especially if you move into a new property, and invariably the carpet is added to landfill, where it cannot biodegrade. Synthetic carpets come in ‘tufted’ form and woven. Tufted carpets come backed with Action Bac – so as such, are 100% synthetic, and able to be recycled. They can be laid like normal wall-to-wall carpets with underlay, and so be easily taken up, or they can be stuck down with the “double stick” method. As their name suggests, they are made from synthetic yarn, either polypropylene (PP) or Polyester which are made from petroleum.  The market leaders for the tufted carpets in the UK are Regency (also known as Furlong), who produce their carpets in Northern Ireland. Thankfully, their MD is keen on expanding their range of recycled synthetic carpets.

As for woven synthetic carpets, Fibre and Unnatural Flooring company produce a range of polypropylene woven sisal look-alikes, which are either just woven or backed in Latex. These are easy to clean and not prone to staining like natural sisals.

Recycled, synthetic carpets:

With the call for more sustainably made products, carpets and rugs, made from recycled synthetic yarn, are now gaining ground. They tend to be made from recycled plastic bottles (PET), polyester, polypropylene and Econyl (from recycled nylon fishing nets). Regency Carpets, who manufacture their carpets in Bangor in Northern Ireland, have sourced a factory in Turkey to produce their recycled PP and polyester yarn. The MD explained to me that according to GRS (global recycling standards) polypropylene must be recycled postproduction (eg from factories making nappies and plastic bags), not post-consumer. These new ranges include “Beyond Wool” which comes in a boucle, herringbone and tufted finish. Rols, who produce an upmarket woven herringbone and boucle range also source their recycled yarn from Turkey. Sandringham, Kingsmead and Sedna make their plush velvet style carpets from Econyl, which is made in Slovenia (and is endlessly recyclable). Unnatural flooring gets it’s recycled yarn made and woven into rugs for their sister company Weaver Green in India. (Other recycled rug suppliers include Designers Guild and Jennifer Manners’ who has produced a range called /re/Purpose Performance). This recycled synthetic yarn is making use of post-production plastic, which might otherwise go to landfill and Econyl is helping clean our oceans, in conjunction with the charity Healthy Seas.

Natural and recycled underlays:

Thermally, wool makes an excellent underlay and Wools of Cumbria make a 100% Herdwick wool underlay with a good tog count. Anglo Recyling produce a number of different recycled underlays from Wool to “moth proof” 100% recycled synthetic carpet, which has a tog count of 2.5. They have teamed up with John Lewis and partners, and “developed a closed loop system” taking all the carpet offcuts from John Lewis’s fitting jobs and using them to make their recycled underlays with great TOG counts. The MD, Andy Hall is also chair of Carpet Recycling Uk, which is doing an excellent job encouraging more recycling within the industry. Other recycled underlays include Tredaire’s Renu®, which is “made from 98% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable” and has a tog value of 2.2. ‘Envirolay’ - is made from recycled textile fibres derived from wool and synthetic carpet factory offcuts as well as jute coffee sacks from coffee roasters.

Do not underestimate the impact a good underlay can have on keeping the cold coming up from an earth floor. New Builds should have excellent floor insulation, but this is harder to achieve with retrofits (short of taking up the floorboards and adding glass insulation e.g. HEMP BATS between floor joists, or HEMPCRETE/LIMECRETE/GLASS CRETE on solid ground floors) so carpeting and underlays can really help here.

Carpet repurposing

In August 2023, Innovate Recycle UK opened in Northamptonshire as the UK’s first carpet recycling plant – taking post-consumer and industrial carpet “at volume” (minimum 2 tonnes for now) and retrieving polypropylene and calcium carbonate to use again in industrial manufacturing. QMRE, a company based in Kent and Wakefield aspires to “close the plastic loop” and takes used synthetic carpet (and other waste plastics) separates it into its components then uses a method called Pyrolysis to heat it and recuperate its oils. One thing is clear: it is much easier to recycle products if they are made of 100% natural or 100% synthetic. I see the latex backing on sisal as an issue, but Aidan from Anglo Recycling UK explained to me that the latex can “fall off” sisal in a dust form during recycling, making it easier to repurpose. In 2022 Anglo Recycling UK bought K & H Ellis who recycle raw jute (from SKRIM – coffee bean, potato and rice sacks – as long as they are NOT lined in plastic and are dry). The sacks can then be recycled back into raw jute (or hessian) and the dust, produced as a bi-product of recycling, can be used as fertilizer.  Aidan also explained that if he is despatching his recycled underlay in an Arctic load (large lorry load) he can collect unwanted carpet FOC (free of charge) and then recycle this. This is brilliant news.

Construction: backings, adhesives, and underlays

WOOL

The original, traditional method is wool woven (‘Wilton’) carpet, with an integral smooth wool or cotton back. This continues to be the Rolls Royce of carpets, but due to the longer construction time, it remains costly. Alternative Flooring produces a 100% undyed “barefoot Bikram” velvet and “barefoot hatha” loop which is backed in cotton and as the name suggests is a joy to walk on. There are also lovely flatweave carpets, created for stair runners and now made up to 4m wide in 100% wool. (Have a look at Roger Oates, who use (some 100% UK) wool which is spun and dyed in Yorkshire and woven in their Herefordshire mill.  Vandra, also produce lovely flatweaves and have managed to still employ a team of Ukrainian women, who they have moved to the safety of the Carpathian Mountains.  Wool Wiltons, Axminsters and Flatweaves do not have any backing or need for so much adhesive and are often beautiful, but often at the pricier end of the market.

The other cheaper construction method is “tufted”. These require primary and secondary backings to which the carpet tufts are ‘stuck’ with a combination of latex and synthetic adhesives. For years, the backings were made from hessian scrim, and this used to be made in Dundee. Wools of Cumbria still back their carpets in hessian, making their twists 100% natural, as do Penthouse, and source it from Bangladesh and Indonesia, but they are in the minority.  Due to the unreliability of supplies, a price rise and the weight of the product, carpet manufacturers developed lighter, cheaper woven synthetic backings. Most ‘tufted’ carpets are now made with ‘Action Bac,’ which is made from polypropylene slit film and spun olefin yarns. Some backings e.g.  “ECO Fusion Bac” (by Associated Weavers) are made from recycled PET (100% recycled plastic bottles). Brockway, who make a wonderful undyed British Wool “rare breed” range of twists back their carpets in ‘EnviroBac’ - this is made from polyolefin derivatives but more ‘environmental’ because it uses less product than before. Either way, these synthetic backing methods means that although can be repurposed in some way, the wool carpet itself is no longer made from a 100% biodegradable product at the end of its life. Some manufacturers are making recycled coffee bean sacks into hessian scrim, which is good news.

SISAL etc.

Wall to wall sisal and seagrass etc. Sisal and Jute carpets are usually backed in latex, to keep the weave straight. Latex is a rubber product, made from tree sap, so will biodegrade, but now this is often made with a mixture of other chemicals. Furthermore, due to the potential shrinkage of the fibres, the sisal usually has to be stuck down with adhesive, which makes it messy to take up, and harder to recycle. I am hoping that locally UK fast-grown HEMP can soon replace this as a natural backing. UPDATE (2024) Fibre has brought out a range called “BioSisal Boucle” with a “100% sisal” pile and a “100% compostable felt backing from recycled plant material” - so the fitting can be “traditional” as well as double stick.

Double stick or Durafit method for Flatweaves – wool, sisal, and ‘fake’ sisal

It is often recommended that flatweave carpets, especially those made from sisal (whether natural or synthetic) are laid with a ‘double stick’ method and tucked under at the edges to prevent fraying.  This entails pouring a thin layer of ‘tackifier’ adhesive onto the floor, using a roller, laying a 6.5cm double-stick underlay (e.g. Duralay/Stickatac) then applying a thicker layer of glue with a wide trowel, before laying the carpet on top of this. This works well for new builds, concrete floors, over underfloor heating etc but not so good over wooden floorboards – which may provide access to services like pipes and cable, as it is hard to take up without damaging the carpet. Furthermore, when the carpet is ripped up it is usually a bit damaged and mixed with adhesive. Rols say their Flatweave synthetic sisal carpet can be glue-fixed at the edges, so gently taken up, but would need to be put down again by a professional fitter.

Thankfully, some manufacturers such Alternative Flooring have produced a “No Bother Sisal” - which has a tough hessian backing, meaning that it can be fitted like a traditional carpet without any adhesives.

Offices and the commercial market have come on leaps and bounds, with the use of carpet tiles (e.g. 50cm2) which can be laid on suspended floors with MagTabs by e.g. Iobac (tabs which are magnetic on one side and have a low tac self-adhesive on the other and attach the carpet or Luxury vinyl planks/tiles onto a metal raised access substructure). This way, no glue is needed and damaged or stained squares can be taken up and replaced, rather than having to replace the whole carpet. These office carpets are also often made from recycled polyester (e.g. by EGE carpets) or Econyl .

Rugs and Remnants

If you are confident that your floor is well insulated underneath, then rugs (including antique and recycled PP) or bound carpets are great option; as these can be cleaned, aired, and moved if your decoration changes.

Some carpet companies sell remnants online – this is a fantastic way to pick up a bargain, as well as use unwanted products, which might otherwise go to landfill.

CONCLUSION

Decide on your own priorities:

Natural products due to health reasons (e.g. asthma) - opt for 100% wool or a “no fuss” sisal (with no backing) or a natural

Thermal requirements - look at the tog values of the carpet and underlay

Longevity - buy for long-term, so check suitability for eg a high traffic area

Planet - all of the above + locality of production e.g. British wool; if you favour synthetic then buy 100% recycled PP; try and always buy products with as few components as possible (for ease of recycling).

Cost - try and spend a bit more on something which will last

Look - you need to love what it looks like, and hopefully for a long time!

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