Are you someone who cares about the environment but also wants a comfy home? Luckily for you, there are many sustainable choices you can make to improve your home’s comfort and decor.
Choosing sustainable rugs is just one of the ways to do it. This is a meaningful way to create a more environmentally conscious home without sacrificing comfort.
By opting for sustainable rug options, you help save Earth’s resources and support responsible manufacturing. This will help enhance both your living space and commitment to sustainability.
There are essentially 2 things you look at to identify the best sustainable floor rugs: the materials that went into making them (they should be natural and sustainable) and the process of making the rug (which should be sustainable and environmentally friendly).
We’ll guide you through both things today. This should help you choose rugs that align with eco-friendly values while satisfying your sense of aesthetics.
What is a sustainable rug?
A sustainable rug is a type of floor covering that is created and manufactured in a way that minimises its impact on the environment.
A lot of the rugs that fall into this category are made to promote responsible production practices as well as support social and ethical considerations. From sustainable area rugs to natural fibre rugs for hallways, they’re all produced at less of a “cost” to the environment than most other rugs. Despite paying a premium for these rugs, your dollars go a long way when it comes to helping the environment!
What’s more, these rugs are often designed to be environmentally friendly throughout their lifecycle, from material sourcing and manufacturing to use and disposal.
The nice thing about it is that they don’t need to sacrifice looks to be sustainable. In fact, sustainable design practices are also among the top interior design trends for 2023!
In any case, if you want to find your own environmentally friendly rug, we’ll go over some of the key characteristics to look out for below.
How to choose a sustainable floor rug?
1. Material Selection
When shopping for a sustainable floor rug, choose biodegradable materials. Natural-fibre rugs, recycled-fibre rugs, recyclable-material rugs – these are all excellent choices!
In particular, most people look out for those made from natural and sustainable fibres such as wool, jute, sisal, and organic cotton. For good reason: these materials have a lower environmental footprint compared to synthetic alternatives.
They usually require less energy to craft overall and also mean lower waste at the end of their lifetimes (especially if they’re recyclable, which a lot of natural rugs are). And the best part is that some of them also have longer lifetimes than synthetics! Wool is a great example, thanks to its durability.
If you want to learn more about rug materials to see which ones are natural, check out our guide to the topic! That should help you find the material for you.
2. Natural Dyes and Finishes
Now, here’s something to remember: even if a rug is made of what seem to be sustainable base materials, you still have to make sure that it’s been made sustainably.
What does that mean? Simply that you can use sustainable materials to make a rug in an overly energy-intensive, non-environmentally friendly way.
Look for rugs that were made in a way that lowers harmful environmental impact. That means rugs that don’t use many toxic chemicals for their treatments and colours.
Some natural dyes still used today are madder root (reddish brown) and walnut shell (black). You can still find carpets and rugs dyed with these.
To find out if a rug you’re considering has been made with such natural dyes, ask the manufacturer. You can also look for certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), which is given to items that use organic and non-toxic materials.
Another way to check if a rug might use natural or synthetic dyes is to give it a sniff test. A lot of the rugs dyed with synthetic dyes tend to have chemical residues that take ages to stop off-gassing. You can smell the strong chemical odour on them for a long time.
Checking for this can benefit you in more ways than one. For instance, rugs that use toxic chemical finishes can off-gas into your space, which can negatively affect air quality in your home. Avoiding those is only good sense – and vital if you have pets or children!
3. Longevity and Durability
One aspect often overlooked when looking for sustainable furniture is durability. As it happens, sustainable rugs are often built to last, with high-quality construction that can withstand wear and tear over time.
This reduces the need for frequent replacements and minimises waste. Products that can be reused or are made to last a long time have a lower environmental impact (and get bonus points if they can be composted or recycled later).
Just bear in mind that you do have to take care of the rug to ensure it lasts. Do the usual things, from spot-cleaning to regular vacuuming. If you find that’s not enough, you can also come to us to seek advice. At The Rug Maker, we offer professional care and cleaning for rugs and can handle nearly all kinds.
4. Ethical Practices
Double-check for transparent and ethical production practices too when researching the background of a rug. As an example, you should try to choose rugs whose manufacturers used local and ethical sourcing for their materials.
Of course, that means you should try to choose manufacturers with transparent and ethical supply chains. Here are some examples to look for:
- Manufacturers who collaborate with and support local artisans to create handmade rugs that showcase cultural heritage
- Manufacturers who provide transparency in the sourcing of materials, production processes, and supply chain partners
- Manufacturers who ensure that materials are responsibly sourced and ethically produced before even getting to them
- Manufacturers who implement strategies to reduce waste during production, e.g. through recycling and repurposing of materials
5. Conscious Packaging
An item that’s packaged in an environmentally-friendly way is much more likely to be green than the alternative. That’s actually why you’ll usually see real sustainable rug manufacturers using minimal packaging for their products.
When they do use packaging, it’s usually eco-friendly too. All of this is to stay consistent in the goal of reducing waste and limiting the use of plastic or non-recyclable materials.
This limits the harm done to the environment – and even helps you, since packaging contributes to the cost of goods and trash disposal.
Get yourself the perfect sustainable rug today
As you can see, there are many things to consider when shopping for sustainable rugs. It can be daunting at times, yes, but it’s worth it – not just for the environment but also for you.
If you want to simplify the process, though, you can always have a custom rug made. Clients approach us with specific requests on sustainability, for instance, and we’re more than happy to design and craft rugs that meet all of their requirements.
If you’re interested in that, contact us. We can design and make your own custom rug for your home… and even give you more decor tips along the way!