Carpets - Wool Pile, Wool Blend and Modular Wool

The environmental loads from the production and use of wool pile carpet are widespread and numerous. Wool scouring can consume large quantities of water and energy and can result in undesirable discharges to air, particularly strong odours. Scouring effluents can have heavy loadings of grease and other wastes which can remove oxygen from the receiving waters, causing impacts on plant and animal life. The use of detergents (surfactants) in scouring can also cause water quality problems. Dyeing processes can also result in effluent discharge to water. Some processes also involve the use of hazardous substances such as insecticides, glues and dyes. Inappropriate handling and disposal of these materials can and frequently does lead to environmental impacts.

Manufacturers and consumers of environmentally preferable wool pile carpet product must consider the potential environmental impacts of carpet throughout its life cycle:

• Wool Scouring - Scouring effluents reduce oxygen levels (Chemical Oxygen Demand, COD) in receiving waters; Effluent should be treated and discharged into an appropriate municipal or on-site treatment system. Water and energy use should be minimized. Toxic detergents and synthetic insecticides should not be used.
• Yarn - Dye effluent COD levels should be as low as possible, ideally less than 35kg per tonne of dyed yarn. Insecticides should not be added during opening, carding or spinning – effluent should not exceed 15g/tonne of dyed yarn. Spinning lubricants should not exceed 3% of the total wool weight. Yarn fibres used should not contain organo -phosphates or –chlorine insecticides, fluorochemical finishes or sulphonated phenolic stain-blockers. Fibre detergents should be biodegradable.
• Manufacturing Facilities - Wool carpet should be sourced only from manufacturing facilities which ensure that cotton used in the construction of carpet is unbleached.
• Finished Product - Should preferably not contain Pentachlorophenol, formaldehyde, toluene, styrene, Vinyl or 4-phenyl -cyclohexene, aromatic hydrocarbons, VOC’s, butadiene and vinyl chloride.

For specific information view our Environmental Standard for Wool Pile Carpets: www.geca.org.au/standardsregister.htm