Eco-Friendly Choices For Natural Area Rugs

With environmental awareness at an all-time high, more and more people are making a conscious choice to buy and use natural area rugs in their homes. Here are some of the most eco-friendly choices!

Wool

Wool has long been used for rugs because it is strong, soft, flexible and easy to color. It is, of course, fully biodegradable and renewable, and of course naturally both retains heat, and increases cooling. Make sure that your wool rug has been sourced from farms that do not use pesticides, and that energy efficient processes are used to clean and scour the wool. Also, look for 'live wool' rugs, as these have used wool that has been sheared from live animals, and will retain the natural oils that makes wool so resistant and durable. Many wool rugs use wool that has been chemically removed from dead animals... not what you want. Wool will last for a long time, and is a great choice when you want an eco-friendly rug that brings warmth and a cozy feel to a room.

Abaca Rugs

Abaca belongs to the banana family, and it has long been considered the strongest of all the natural fibers. They make wonderful area rugs due to their natural variations in tone. The inner fibers are a crisp, glossy white, and the outer fibers are darker and rougher, so each and every rug will be slightly different as far as the overall texture and hues go. Make sure that the rug has not been dyed or bleached, and that there is no backing material.

Jute Rugs

Jute is not only one hundred percent recyclable, it is also one hundred percent biodegradable. Jute yarn used for rug making is soft and flexible, but is also extremely durable and hard wearing. It makes perfect area rugs, door rugs, and even whole floor coverings because it is naturally resistant to wear and tear. Again, make sure that there have been no dyes used.

Sisal Rugs

Sisal comes from the agave plant, and is a very tough fiber. They absorb sound, and stand up well to heavy traffic. Also, it is a renewable and sustainable resource that does not use pesticides or herbicides in its production. If you want natural area rugs that will stand up to pets, kids and well-used rooms, sisal is a great choice!

Bamboo

This stylish and contemporary floor covering is more of a mat than a rug. Resembling narrow strips of hardwood flooring, Bamboo Rugs are durable and strong, making them a great choice for high traffic areas. Bamboo is environmentally friendly due to its fast growth and the fact that it can be harvested without killing the plant.

Grass Fiber

Natural grasses used for rugs include seagrass and hemp. Seagrass rugs are resistant to spills and moisture, and is very comfortable to walk on. Hemp is strong and soft, and is naturally resistant to pests, so no pesticides are used in its production. Both are renewable and sustainable, and of course, look gorgeous as rugs.

Paper Fiber

More eco-friendly natural area rugs are being made from paper yarn. This paper is harvested from virgin wood in sustainable, managed forests. Strips of paper are twisted at high speeds on a special machine that results in a tough, strong 'cord' of paper. These cords are woven together to create the rug. At the same time, an emulsion of wax is applied to the paper, which not only helps it to spin smoothly but also makes the cords resistant to water. As a result, paper fiber rugs are smooth and soft, but also tough and durable.