By Howard Elder, Director of research & environmental affairs/ J&J /Invision
From energy conservation and landfill avoidance to recycled content, bio-based materials and renewable energy credits— carpet manufacturers add new elements to their products’ green story every day. No other industry has progressed as far, or as quickly, on environmental issues as carpet, beginning with the introduction of CRI’s Green Label and Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality certification programs in the early 1990s.

Despite all the good news regarding the carpet industry’s proactive environmental stewardship, manufacturers have struggled with determining which metrics accurately assess the impacts associated with their products and processes. Consumers have also had difficulty deciphering the authenticity of environmental marketing claims, which requires wading through a sea of jargon. The carpet industry recognized this issue some time ago and has taken measures to define appropriate industry-approved metrics to conduct environmental assessments, as well as mechanisms to convey these results to customers in a digestible format.

The use of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) has become a valuable tool for the industry’s movement toward sustainability, minimizing much of the ambiguity surrounding environmental claims by providing a transparent framework for conducting analysis. This powerful tool evaluates the impacts of a product at each stage of its life cycle—from raw material acquisition through end-of-life management. Results from these studies enable consumers and producers to make informed decisions about the environmental attributes of carpet products.

Since 1994, the carpet industry has partnered with the state of Georgia through the Traditional Industries Program (TIP). This program sponsors research at various state institutions. Currently, leading the research on Life Cycle Analysis of the carpet industry is Dr. Matthew Realff, of Georgia Tech and Dr. Michael Overcash, a retired professor from N.C. State. Their contributions have proven invaluable in helping the carpet industry undertake this extensive research.

Dr. Realff recalls working with the carpet industry at the first Carpet and Fiber Recycling Workshop in 1995 at Redtop Mountain. This initial work concentrated on methods for recycling PVC carpet tile. Since then, the work of Dr. Realff, Dr. Overcash and Dr. Youg Li (also of Georgia Tech) has been thoroughly embraced by carpet manufacturers and is now being adopted by other industries as well.

Building on this tradition, the carpet industry successfully balloted the Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard in November 2007, which is based on LCA principles. This standard allows specifiers and consumers to assess the environmental attributes of certified carpet products.

Empowering consumers with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions regarding purchases remains a challenge— especially with regard to sustainability issues. However, the carpet industry remains vigilant in seeking innovative ways to assist in this endeavor.