Carpet’s Clean Bill of Health

In any healthcare setting, patient care comes first. That’s why maintaining indoor air quality is paramount. The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) has conducted scientific research and gathered independent data that show carpet is not only a viable choice for the healthcare industry, it’s the best choice.

What You Should Know

– New carpet emits the lowest levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of common flooring choices. Not only is it the lowest-emitting floor covering, it is also one of the lowest-emitting construction and renovation products overall – much lower than products such as paint.

– What low emissions in new carpet there are drop significantly after 24 hours – even sooner with fresh air ventilation.

– Carpet manufacturers were the first in the flooring industry to thoroughly study their products for indoor air quality effects.

– In 1992, CRI became the first organization to set limits on how many VOCs from carpet, adhesives and cushion may be released into the air. Since then, the Green Label Plus program has voluntarily raised IAQ standards by requiring even lower emission levels and increasing the number of compounds evaluated.

– CRI also worked with California’s Sustainable Building Task Force and Department of Health to certify carpet and adhesives. Green Label Plus exceeds the low-emitting product testing protocols used by the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS).
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– The Green Guide for Health Care (GGHC), a best practices guide for healthy and sustainable building, design, construction and operations for healthcare facilities, specifies the use of CRI-approved carpet.