This post is part of the Beauty of Carpet campaign from April 2019. Read this full post at House of Hood.
The fact that carpet is an earth-friendly option might not even cross your mind when deciding on your flooring. Carpet works best for us in our home with young children and pets. It is easiest to keep clean and looking clean. The hardwood floors we have downstairs show dirt and dust so quickly after cleaning them! The girls are always playing on the floor, so we like giving them a comfortable surface to play on. I’ve rounded up 4 reasons why carpet is a great, environmentally-friendly flooring option. Keep reading below!
1. Carpet Can Improve Indoor Air Quality
Did you know that carpet is one of the lowest emitters of volatile organic compounds (VOC) among household building materials? We try our best to purchase low-VOC items, especially with little ones in our home! Most carpet meets the industry’s strict standards for VOCs, which you can find by looking for carpet in CRI’s Green Label Plus program.  Carpet also can act as an air filter by trapping dust particles, which removes them from the air. This can help people greatly who suffer from asthma and allergies.Â
2. Carpet Can Be Recycled
If you are remodeling your home and changing out your carpet, you might be able to recycle the old carpet! Close to 5 billion pounds of carpet has been diverted from landfills and recycled since 2002. Used carpet materials can actually be put back into carpet production. It can also be turned into building materials and auto parts!Â
If you aren’t quite ready for new carpet, you can look for the CRI Seal of Approval logo to identify products and equipment that will effectively clean your current carpet without causing damage. The CRI Seal of Approval helps lengthen the life of carpet and in turn, lessens the time that carpet needs to be replaced.
3. Recycled Materials
More often, carpet is made of recycled materials like plastic bottles, glass, and fishing nets, keeping this waste out of landfills and lessening the industry’s reliance on limited natural resources. Carpet also can be made from renewable resources, like corn and soybeans. McKinlee’s mattress was actually made from soybeans, and it was a great mattress!Â
4. Sustainability and Resource Conservation
Today, carpet manufacturers have sustainability front of mind. They are highly focused on resource conservation, such as reducing water and energy use. Many carpet manufacturers work hard to create zero waste during the manufacturing process.
