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What is an Eco-Friendly Area Rug?
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Click here to
shop for an eco-friendly rug.
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Area rugs are made from a variety of fibers that are considered to be naturally
eco-friendly, which is short for "ecologically friendly." There are three
primary criteria to consider when evaluating how environmentally neutral a
textile product is:
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First and most important is the renewability of the product. A renewable
resource can be replenished in a relatively short period of time as opposed to
centuries or millennia, such as oil or natural gas.
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Second is the overall ecological footprint of the resource. It's important to
consider the amount of land and water necessary to develop the renewable
resource - most likely a plant or animal- to full or usable growth.
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Third is the amount of chemicals or other potentially damaging products
necessary to grow or process the material in making it ready for sale.
Another important consideration in determining the extent to which an area rug
is eco-friendly is how easy it is to recycle the discarded product and whether
or not its fiber content is biodegradable.
Wool is not only one of the best materials from which to make beautiful,
durable area rugs but it is one of the most eco-friendly fabrics on the planet.
Sheep grow wool continuously. It's important to shear them at least once a
year; sometimes twice. Not doing so results in the sheep being extremely
uncomfortable during the summer months. When done properly, it causes no pain
to the sheep and within six weeks enough new coat has grown in to provide the
animal with protection from the elements. Most of the less eco-friendly
processes for bleaching and dyeing wool are rapidly being replaced with ones
that cause no adverse or long-term effects to the environment.
Bamboo is another excellent source of fibers for eco-friendly area rugs. It is
a rapidly-growing, highly renewable grass that has natural antibacterial
properties. Bamboo has an incredibly small ecological footprint and its fibers
are completely biodegradable.
Other plants from which area rugs fibers are made include jute, sisal,
seagrass, coir, cotton and mountain grass. They require very little in the way
of pesticides or fertilizers to achieve full, healthy growth. In addition,
these botanical resources can be replenished quickly and are almost completely
biodegradable.
Rugs Direct currently offers more than 4500 area rugs that have been classified
as eco-friendly. If you are interested in shopping for one of these renewable
or recyclable rugs, please click here.
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2008
Winchester Carpet & Rug Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
All images are protected by copyright and used with permission.
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