An Environmentally Friendly Alternative to Petroleum-based Carpet

• By
• Carol Crenna

Wool carpet is eco-friendly and stylish

Petroleum-based nylon carpet accounts for a staggering amount of renovation waste, and landfill 
alternatives such as carpet recycling are limited in B.C. Wool, however, makes for an environmentally friendly alternative

Richard Munden, president of Colin Campbell, 
discusses eco-friendly carpet alternatives.

Your company’s Nature’s Carpet line is made from wool. How long does it take for wool carpet, including the backing, to break down?


Munden: Depending on the conditions, wool takes from one to 10 years to disintegrate. As it biodegrades, it adds healthy nitrogen to the soil. The company has different levels or shades of green within our carpet lines: light and medium green levels have a synthetic backing attached to jute. The synthetic won’t break down, but the jute easily does, making the carpet 75% biodegradable. The dark green level is entirely biodegradable. It’s made from wool tufted into a cotton-jute primary backing and jute outer backing. Natural biodegradable rubber latex adheres it to the carpet.



Are any chemicals used in manufacturing?


Munden: No chemicals are used in the dark green line, and in the light and medium green carpet no chemicals are used but detergent is used. The carpet is made in Australia and New Zealand where environmental laws are stringent. For example, effluent water must be recycled: 75% to 80% of water is recycled in our factory. Because wool is a natural fibre, it takes much less energy to produce than synthetic carpet, and VOC levels are very low.


What about wool allergies? 


Munden: Less than one per cent of the population is allergic to wool. The itchy feeling that some people get is more to do with the texture due to the quality and way it was produced rather than an allergic reaction. Wool is resistant to bacteria and dust mites. Being a natural filter for toxins, it absorbs VOCs out of the air because it’s a breathing fibre. Wool pulls moisture out of the air and can hold up to one third of its weight in added moisture without adverse effects, so that helps to control humidity in a room. This is a safety feature: it’s difficult to set wool carpet on fire since it absorbs moisture, unlike flammable oil-based carpet. 


Is wool carpet better for air quality?


Munden: Carpet has received a bad rap. In the 1980s and ’90s when “sick building syndrome” was reported, carpet was blamed due to dust mites and other toxins. However, as long as you maintain it regularly with a quality vacuum, carpet can remove dust more effectively than hardwood. Instead of just flying around, it is grabbed by carpet. 



Is there an eco-friendly cleaner for it? 


Munden: Because wool has lanolin, a natural dirt and stain repellant, chemical cleaners aren’t needed. A big mistake that 
people make is attempting to clean wool carpet with harsh synthetic carpet stain remover, which discolours or stains wool. 



What is the carpet’s carbon footprint since it’s made in Australia? 


Munden: It’s delivered on ships overseas, which is proven more environmentally friendly than trucking it across North America like other manufacturers may do. 


Are there environmental costs of using rubber latex from rainforests?


Munden: The manufacturer, a major shareholder of the company, sources rubber from plantations following environmental guidelines. Colin Campbell has been selling wool carpet for 60 years – we believed in natural, sustainable materials long before an ecological movement began. 



How does wool carpet help buildings acquire LEED certification? 


Munden: It provides points for buildings using it because wool is a rapidly renewable resource and we have Green Label Plus third-party certification for low-VOC emissions. 


What dyes are used in your carpet?


Munden: We use only non-dyed wool – the sheep’s natural colours in white, beiges, greys and black – in the dark green line; the other levels use non-metallic dyes, meaning non-chemical dyes made from vinegar and eco-friendly colouring applications.

Originally published in BC Home magazine. For monthly updates, subscribe to the free BC Home e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the bi-monthly magazine.

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