Sustainable Carpet Tiles – Or Green Wash?

Sustainability is a long standing focus for all of our floor coverings that Irvine International Floors produce, with a companywide drive to reduce waste and drive the use of post consumer recycled content in all flooring on the global market.

Sustainability has been an over used “marketing phrase” for so many carpet tile manufacturers and importers, focusing on Sustainable Green Wash over and above the key factors of actually reducing post consumer waste, removing PVC content from carpet tiles and failing to declare the truth of point of origin of their carpet tiles components.

Having company’s buying carbon credits to offset the fact that they are polluting the environment and then promoting the fact they are green, is starting to not convince the educated specifier, who is now asking more informed questions. 

Sustainable carpet tile question; “What is the better option for a New Zealand consumer concerned with the carbon foot print of a carpet tile and it’s shipping distance”? A recent project investigation may give the answer.

A major Architect did some serious digging after Irvine International Floors proved they had a smaller carbon transport foot print on a product coming from America, after an alternative carpet tile company he was considering emitted to the break downn on the transport and life cycle of their carpet tiles, which was substantially great than initially anticipated, as the product was only being shipped from Australia from wear the “CARPET TILE” was produced. Or so it seemed.

As it transpired the carpet from Australia had had a very long and environmentally expensive life cycle before it got to Australia, let alone before the carpet tile arrived in New Zealand. As the architect advised us the trip started in Atlanta where carpets yarn was made, then shipped to Asia where the yarn was tufted into carpet in roll form, then it’s next International carpet trip down to Australia where the carpet was cut into tiles and then backed,… final destination New Zealand.

Compare the above story with the Irvine International Carpet tile which used 85% post consumer recycled content from the Atlanta area, Carpet Yarn manufactured in the Atlanta region, then tufted, backed and cut into carpet tiles ( all still in the local  Atlanta region) and then one direct shipment directly to New Zealand.

Interior Designers, Architects and end users ask the questions and don’t get taken for ride, with the amount of green wash out in the market, ask all the questions you can of each component,.

Truely working for a more sustainable Planet with Irvine International. Vistit the below link and then call us on 0800 367 773 for further Information.

http://irvineinternational.co.nz/Environment/default.asp

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