Brighton Peace & Environment Centre, 39-41 Surrey Street, Brighton, BN1 3PB. United Kingdom.Tel: (01273) 766610 Email: info@bpec.org Web: www.bpec.org. Registered Charity no. 1125002

Donate money to support BPEC! Brighton Peace and Environment Centre is able to work within the community because of the generous support of its members and donors. Please give your support to BPEC by sending a donation or becoming a member.

On behalf of BPEC and the community, thank you! Please visit www.bpec.org for more details.

Everyone loves the sensation of a deep shag, but what are the environmental costs of that luxurious rug? Among the issues we can count are: the use of child labour; poor working

conditions for those employed in manufacture; and environmental and health concerns in the production process. Alternatives which address these issues are fair trade or RugMark carpets,

and natural carpeting. Cork and bamboo are also ethically sound alternatives. Always be aware of the source of the flooring, and where possible avoid PVC (AKA vinyl).

CARPETS AND FLOORING

Carpets and Rugs - Child Labour

• TheRugMarklabelcanbefoundoncarpetsmadewithoutchildlabour-www.rugmark.org.uk.Allied Carpets, B&Q, Carpet Right, Debenhams, House of Fraser and Laura Ashley havecommittedtostockingonlyRugMarkcertifiedrugsfromIndia,NepalandPakistan.Theycanalsobefoundinmanyindependentstores

• Mala Carpets areafairtradeandcharitabletrustsellingnaturalfibrecarpets-www.malacarpets.co.uk

• One Villagesellsfairtradecarpetsandrugs-visitwww.onevillage.orgformoreinformation.

Environmental and Health Issues

• Transportationofcarpetingacrosstheworldemitsextracarbondioxide(CO2)emissionswhichexacerbateglobalwarming

• Wall-to-wallcarpetsharbourdustanddustmites,whichcantriggerasthmaandotherallergies.Dustmayalso

absorbtoxicpollutants.Inthisrespect,smoothflooringisanalternative.However,thecheapestsmoothflooringsaremadeofPVC,amajorsourceoftoxicsubstances.Betteralternativesincludewoodenflooring,linoleum,corkandlaminateflooring(providedtheyareethicallysourced)

• ManycarpetsandtheirbackingmaterialswhicharestuckonwithglueemitVolatileOrganicCompounds(VOCs)amongstotherpotentiallyharmfulchemicals.Wovencarpetshavetheirownbacking,andsouseaminimalamountofadhesive

• Duralay Treadmore(variousstockists)andInterfloor(www.interfloor.com)bothproducecarpetunderlaywiththeenvironmentinmind

• Forlayingcarpets,itisbesttousetraditionalfittingmethodssuchastacking,ratherthanglueing

Natural Carpets

Thefollowingareenvironmentally-friendlychoices,butmosthavelatexrubberbackinggluedonandarethereforenotbiodegradable.

• Coirishardwearingandslightlycoarse.Itisnotsuitableforthebathroomorkitchenasitdoesn’trespondwelltowater

• Juteissofterthantheothernaturalflooringsandissuitableforthebedroom

• Seagrassisstrongandresistant.Itishardtodyesomostlycomesinanaturalgreenorlightbrownshade.Itcanbelaidthroughoutthehome

• Sisalisthemostdurableofthenaturalcarpetsandcomesinmanydifferentdesigns,coloursandweaves

• Youcangetnaturalandorganicwoolcarpetswithwoollenfelt,juteorhessianbacking

PicturecourtesyofMalaCarpetsPicture courtesy of Mala Carpets

Brighton Peace & Environment Centre, 39-41 Surrey Street, Brighton, BN1 3PB. United Kingdom.Tel: (01273) 766610 Email: info@bpec.org Web: www.bpec.org. Registered Charity no. 1125002

Donate money to support BPEC! Brighton Peace and Environment Centre is able to work within the community because of the generous support of its members and donors. Please give your support to BPEC by sending a donation or becoming a member.

On behalf of BPEC and the community, thank you! Please visit www.bpec.org for more details.

Wood Flooring

Itisbesttoreuseoldfloorboards,orusereclaimedpine,beechoroakwhicharewidelyavailable.Ifbuyingnew,checkproductsareForest Stewardship Council (FSC)certified.LookfortheFSClogo/certificatenumberandIDcodeonthespecificproduct.Tovetcompanies,visitwww.fsc-uk.org/product-search.

SimonCounsell(DirectorofRainforestFoundationUK,andoneofthefoundersoftheFSC)hascriticisedtheFSCforcertifyingforestswhereloggingdamagestheenvironmentanddisplaceslocalcommunities.Additionally,therearesignificantCO2emissionsproducedfromtransportingwoodacrosstheworld.FSCthemselvessaythattheyaretryingtoimprovetheirsystems.Laminatewoodflooringcanbemadefromrecycledwastewood.Askthemanufactureraboutthepercentageofrecycledmaterialsused.Seealsoour‘Wood Products’factsheetformoreinformation.

Other Flooring

• AvoidPVC(vinyl).Linoleumisabetteralternative.Whenlayingtheflooring,ideallyuseaplant-basedadhesiveratherthanasolvent-basedone.Whenfinishedwith,linoleumcanbemadeintocarpetunderlay

• Corkisaverygoodnaturalflooring,andalsoactsasaninsulationmaterial.Ideally,trytobuyunvarnishedcorktiles,andsealthemyourselfwithawater-basedvarnishorbeeswaxpolish.Manycarpetshopsstockcorkflooring

• BambooflooringisavailablefromThe Bamboo Flooring Company-www.bambooflooringcompany.com,Tel:0845 0092222

• Formoreinformationonbamboo,seeour‘Wood Products’factsheet

Some Local Stockists

• Blatchingtons Ltd,60-62 Blatchington Road, Hove.Tel:01273 735329

• Bond Street Carpets,93 Boundary Road, Hovesellsnaturalcarpetsandlinoleum.Tel:08456 834 792

• Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project’s Wood Store,Municipal Market, Circus Street, Brightonisanot-for-profitenvironmentalorganisationthatsellsfloorboards-www.woodrecycling.org.uk,Tel:01273 570500

• Brighton Carpet Centre,102 Preston Drove, Brighton sellsnaturalcarpets,Marmoleumlinoandcorktiles.

Tel:01273 564037• EC Forest Product Sales Ltd,The Woodland Centre,

Whitesmith (A22), near LeweshasFSCcertificationandstockswoodenfloorsfromEuropeanmanagedresources–www.ecforestproducts.com,Tel:01825 872025

• Harmony Carpets,Bute Hall, Sutherland Road,

Brighton sellsnaturalcarpeting,Marmoleumlino,reclaimedpinefloorboardsandwoodblock,andlaminatewoodflooring-www.harmonycarpets.co.uk,Tel:01273 602370

• Kemp Town Flooring & Lancing Carpet Planner,86 St James Street, Brightonsellsnaturalcarpets,woodlaminate,linoleumandcorkflooring.Tel: 01273 698672 • The Natural Flooring Centre,Peter Davey & Son, 18 Sydney Street, BrightonsellsnaturalcarpetingandfitsbothMarmoleumandwoodfloorings-www.daveyflooring.co.uk,Tel:01273 690512

What you can do right now.....Reusecuttingsfromoldcarpetsasscratchingpostsforcats(attachedtoblocksofwood,sofasetc),welcomematsorrugs,andinlayforthecarfloor.

Resources & Further Information

‘AGoodLife’,LeoHickman,2005

EthicalConsumer,102Sept/Oct2006;103Nov/Dec2006;110Jan/Feb2008

‘GreenLiving’,SarahCallard&DianeMillis,CarltonBooksLtd,2001

‘OrganicLiving’,LyndaBrown,DorlingKindersleyLtd,2000

‘TheNewGreenConsumerGuide’,JuliaHailes,Simon&Schuster,2007

Picture courtesy of the Wood Store