Since we started Wisconsin's first comprehensive carpet reclamation program, Sergenian's has diverted over 1.7 million pounds of carpet and padding from landfills!

Cork Flooring
The cork used in flooring comes from the cork oak tree which is grown in coastal areas of the Mediterranean. Cork is obtained from the unusually thick bark of the tree, and can be harvested every 9 to 11 years. This does not damage the tree, and most cork oaks live to be over 100 years old. Cork flooring is a by-product of the wine-cork industry, where the waste material is ground up and formed into sheets that are bound together under high pressure. When made into flooring, cork comes in two different varieties: 12” x 12” tiles that are 1/8” thick and 12” x 36” planks that have a 1/8” wear surface and a center core made out of high-density fiberboard. The plank variety is installed in a “floating” method where a specially designed tongue and groove system allow the planks snap together. The fiberboard is treated for moisture resistance, and all Natural Cork brand floors are treated with Microban protection to eliminate mold and bacteria, improving indoor air quality. Cork is by far the warmest and quietest flooring available, and it has a factory-applied acrylic finish to give you a floor that is durable and easy to maintain.

Green Carpet
Carpet can be made out of natural fibers like wool and sisal, and manufacturers are beginning to develop ways to manufacture synthetic carpets out of recycled materials and bio-fuels. Synthetic carpets are typically made out of a variety of different fibers, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and Sorona, and the backing of carpet is usually made out of polypropylene. This combination of dissimilar materials creates a challenge for the industry to turn it into secondary products, either more carpet fiber or other types of products. Wool is the most luxurious carpet by far, is extremely durable, and offers natural soil and stain resistance due to the uniquely scaled structure of wool fiber. Wool carpets are fire safe, plus wool has the ability to absorb contaminants in the air, improving the air quality in your home. Sergenian’s offers wool carpets from manufacturers like Karastan, UCL, and Woolshire, with over 50 styles to choose from. Approximately 60% of synthetic carpets are made out of nylon, and roughly half of those are made with a type of nylon that can be made back into more nylon fiber, a closed-loop process that is being done at Shaw Industry’s Evergreen nylon plant. Many of Shaw’s nylon carpets today carry some post-consumer recycled carpet content. While Shaw doesn’t state the percentage actually used, it is a step in the right direction to decrease the amount of virgin petrochemicals needed in the production of nylon carpet fiber. Mohawk Industries recycles roughly 25% of our country’s plastic drinking bottles, and turns them back into the raw ingredients needed to produce more PET polyester fiber. Since 1999, Mohawk has recycled over 17 billion plastic bottles keeping over 1 billion pounds of them out of our landfills. Polyester carpets offer good durability and superior stain resistance. See Mohawk’s website for more information.  http://www.mohawkflooring.com/carpeting/everstrand/default.aspx

Mohawk also uses a bio-based fiber from Dupont called Sorona. The production of Sorona fiber requires 30% less energy that used to make nylon, and 37% of Sorona comes from renewable resources. Carpets made out of Sorona offer great durability, a very soft feel, and excellent stain resistance. See Mohawks website for more information. http://www.mohawkflooring.com/carpeting/smartstrand/default.aspx

Links

Green Built Home www.greenbuilthome.org

Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) www.carpetrecovery.org

Sustainable Times www.sustainabletimes.net

City of Madison Collection and Recycling http://cityofmadison.com/streets/collection.cfm