The carpet industry is proud of the fact it is the leader for recycling efforts and sustainability initiatives among all industries- from recycling plastic bottles to making polyester carpets to recycling manufacturing waste and old broadloom to manufacture new. Corn and soybeans are being used to make new fibers and backing components, respectively, and the other waste materials are used as fillers in finishing and backing agents. New recycling plants are being brought on line to keep carpet from the landfills, and initiatives with reclamation service firms around the country to coordinate these efforts are being solidified. Herculean efforts by the carpet industry are winning it accolades. Here's to a job well done and an example for all other industries to follow. But, are we really as green as we could be?

One sector is blatantly being overlooked in my opinion- the waste in time, money and materials relative to claims. This is waste that, until we get control of it, could undermine all other commendable efforts and give the industry a black eye.

The inherent manufacturing issues with carpet are the first elements. Those being inadequate finishing practices that generate fuzzing and pilling complaints, aggravate consumers and infuriate dealers. This can be resolved with a more concerted effort to eliminate the problem- getting filler loads in latex closer to where they should be and slowing down a tad.

The second is the epidemic of wrinkling carpet. If the carpet is not dimensionally stable and won't hold a stretch, causing it to be re-stretched two and three times, then something is wrong with the carpet- again partly due to high filler loads and latex crumbling in carpet backing. Certainly, installation may have something to do with this as well. But, there is backing technology available to prevent carpets from stretching such as FreeLay and real installation training programs, like INSTALL.

Next, and probably the least identified as undermining the green and recycling initiatives, concerns failed installations due to high moisture content in concrete and other substrates. Moisture causes more failures of flooring materials than anyone gives it credit for. Carpet, sheet vinyl, vinyl tile, laminate, wood and ceramic are all affected by moisture in the substrate. From high moisture levels in concrete slabs in commercial buildings to moisture under the crawl space of a home that warps wood and lifts sheet vinyl material, flooring is wasted and prematurely replaced. The influence of the compromises by moisture causes millions of dollars of flooring material to be trashed that needn't be, simply because we have not gotten serious about the moisture issue. This is on top of the millions spent fighting these claims and the animosity it creates.

The key to eliminating this is to mandate testing before installation and insist if testing is not done by a professional firm results in a failure due to high moisture, no claims will be honored as a result. One of the biggest culprits here is fast-track building- darn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, and we'll worry about or litigate the consequences later. This is the general contractors' and end users' faults. It is getting out of control and has as much to do with sustainability as using renewable resources and recycling. Until the industry gets control of this, we can't honestly say we are truly green. What a colossal waste this issue creates. Think about it.

Learn more about substrate moisture; attend our seminar being held at the end of October.