Where to begin when searching for eco-friendly, ethically-made household rugs: floor coverings that are beautiful, durable, made of renewable materials, and aboveboard in every way?
Some of Merida’s designs are also made in India by workshops that are Goodweave-certified, ensuring that weavers are fairly paid and that materials are of the best quality.
Made in Massachusetts, Merida’s jacquard-woven Heywood Natural area rug is composed of 91 percent undyed wool and 9 percent felted wool.
What are the essentials to know when browsing for rugs?
What are the essentials to know when browsing for rugs?
For anyone committed to low-impact living, there are three factors to consider when assessing a rug: 1. The impact on the people who made it.
Look for rugs that are woven from rapidly renewable natural materials: the ideal are eco-friendly natural fibers that look and feel like the original source, such as wool, mohair, alpaca, or sustainably sourced plant fibers like linen, sisal, jute, and abaca.
What are some rug materials that are notably eco friendly?
What are some rug materials that are notably eco friendly?
If you can’t trace the provenance of all the materials in the rug, you don’t really know what you’re bringing home.
Berlin-based Dutch designer Hella Jongerius’s Argali rug for Maharam is handwoven by Nepalese weavers from argali, the wool of Himalayan wild mountain sheep, and detailed with silk-wrapped fringe.
Materials to steer clear of?
Materials to steer clear of?
Nylon, plastics, and other synthetic fibers have a damaging impact on the environment in terms of the resources they extract and how they’re processed. Synthetic rugs are generally less expensive, but the price we pay in terms of impact to the environment and respiratory health is incalculable.
Look for the tightness of the construction, the natural sheen of the yarns, and the integrity of the backing.
What are some details to look for?
What are some details to look for?
Armadillo’s Umbra rug is from its Ellipse collection, designed in collaboration with another eco-conscious company, Louisa Grey’s London design studio, House of Grey.
Armadillo’s Umbra rug is from its Ellipse collection, designed in collaboration with another eco-conscious company, Louisa Grey’s London design studio, House of Grey.
Which natural materials are hardwearing and which ones are short-lived (even if biodegradable)?
Natural yarns are inherently durable. Plant fibers like sisal and jute are also very durable but shorter-lived than animal fibers; a well-made sisal rug will peak after a decade or so, whereas a high-quality wool rug should last for generations.
If there’s a backing, it should be made of eco-friendly latex and glue. We also always recommend a rug pad for the longevity and care of the rug as well as for safety to keep people from slipping if it’s an area rug.
What’s an okay underside?
Photograph by Oskar Proctor.
Checkerboard, a collaboration between UK rug workshop Vanderhurd and design gallery 8 Holland Street, is a handwoven flat-weave dhurrie made of 100 percent hemp.
Is it possible to know if the rug makers were fairly treated and paid for their work?
Is it possible to know if the rug makers were fairly treated and paid for their work?
If the rug was made in a country where labor regulation is not consistently enforced—India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, for instance—look for third-party verified certifications, such as GoodWeave, SA 8000, and RugMark, that set guardrails against child labor and advocate for safe working conditions and fair wages.
Green Product Assurance is another good one—they test every component involved in the rug making process and screen all for toxic chemicals.
Any other certifications to look for?
Any other certifications to look for?
Are all-wool, naturally dyed rugs compostable?
Are all-wool, naturally dyed rugs compostable?
If the dyes used are mostly organic, with just trace amounts of chemicals, an all-wool rug is compostable, as long as it’s shredded or cut into small pieces.
Merida’s Heywood Parchment rug is a jacquard weave of 93 percent thin felted wool and 7 percent crimped wool.
It’s extremely rare to find rugs with natural, all-organic dyes. Most rugs on the market are colored with chemical dyes thanks to their reliability, consistency, and accessibility.
How common is it to find naturally dyed rugs?
How common is it to find naturally dyed rugs?
Do certain rugs help regulate temperature and acoustics?
I’m sure all rugs help with sound absorption, but wool is known to be the absolute best and the thicker the pile the better.
Rag rugs are yet another eco-friendly alternative if composed of reused materials. We love Philadelphia artisan Olly Williams’ rugs made of old suiting fabric and sold by Lostine.
There are so many choices; any parting advice?
There are so many choices; any parting advice?
After more than 15 years in this business, my overwhelming thought is that the most important reason to buy natural rugs is for the beauty and pleasure that they bring to the room.
It would be hard to overemphasize these points; we all spend so much of our lives surrounded by plastic textiles that we don’t know what we are missing in the beauty and pleasure category.
