GREENING
YOUR
PURCHASE
OF
CARPET
A
GUIDE
FOR
FEDERAL
PURCHASERS
Environmentally
Preferable
Purchasing,
or
EPP,
seeks
the
overall
best
value,
taking
into
account
price
competitiveness,
availability,
regulatory
requirements,
performance
standards,
and
environmental
impact.
Because
purchasers
typically
have
clear
sources
of
information
on
procurement
and
regulatory
requirements
and
well­
established
methods
for
evaluating
price
and
performance,
the
US
EPA
EPP
Program
has
developed
these
purchasing
guides
to
help
government
purchasers
consider
the
environmental
factors
in
the
EPP
equation.
Please
note
that
EPA
is
not
endorsing
any
of
the
products,
services,
or
organizations
described
in
the
guides,
and
has
not
verified
information
provided
by
these
organizations.
For
more
information
about
the
EPP
Programs's
history,
tools,
and
resources,
please
visit
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp>.

Introduction
Carpet
is
quiet,
soft,
slip­
resistant
and
often
quite
beautiful.
These
qualities
make
it
a
common
choice
as
a
floor
covering
for
office
space.
But,
as
with
any
product,
various
environmental
impacts
can
occur
throughout
the
product's
lifecycle.
By
considering
a
variety
of
lifecycle
attributes,
from
the
materials
used
to
manufacture
and
install
carpet
to
recycling
and
disposal
issues,
purchasers
can
make
informed
decisions
about
carpet.

Key
Health
and
Environmental
Issues
Health
and
environmental
concerns
associated
with
carpet
include
indoor
air
quality,
chemical
emissions
from
manufacturing
and
disposal
operations,
and
solid
waste
impacts.
A
variety
of
volatile
organic
compounds
(
VOCs)
can
be
emitted
from
carpet
materials,
although
VOC
emissions
from
new
carpet
typically
fall
to
very
low
levels
within
48
to
72
hours
after
installation
when
accompanied
by
good
ventilation.
Over
four
billion
pounds
of
carpet
enter
the
solid
waste
stream
in
the
U.
S.
every
year,
accounting
for
more
than
one
percent
by
weight
and
about
two
percent
by
volume
of
all
municipal
solid
waste
(
MSW).
Furthermore,
the
bulky
nature
of
carpet
creates
collection
and
handling
problems
for
solid
waste
operations,
and
the
variety
of
materials
present
in
carpet
makes
it
difficult
to
recycle,
although
new
efforts
described
later
in
this
Guide
are
underway
to
increase
recycling
opportunities.

Lifecycle
and
Tradeoff
Issues
As
with
all
products,
environmental
impacts
can
occur
throughout
the
life
cycle
of
carpet,
from
the
initial
acquisition
of
raw
materials
to
the
final
disposal
of
any
product
remnants.
These
impacts
vary
with
the
types
of
materials
used,
the
pattern
of
carpet
use
and
replacement,
and
the
options
available
for
reuse,
recycling,
or
disposal.
An
approach
for
evaluating
the
lifecycle
impacts
of
carpet
and
other
floor
coverings
is
included
in
the
Building
for
Environmental
and
Economic
Sustainability
(
BEES)
tool,
which
can
be
downloaded
from
<
http://
www.
bfrl.
nist.
gov/
oae/
software/
bees.
html>.
BEES
includes
lifecycle
impact
data
on
carpet
with
face
fiber
made
of
virgin
and
recycled
nylon
or
recycled
polyethylene
terephthalate,
(
or
PET,
a
common
plastic).
General
information
on
lifecycle
analysis
and
its
role
in
environmentally
preferable
purchasing
(
EPP)
can
be
found
in
the
EPP
General
Training
Tool
at
<
www.
epa.
gov.
oppt/
epp/
gentt/>.
Materials
Used
in
Carpet
Nylon
is
the
most
popular
fiber
used
as
the
face
fiber
in
commercial
carpet.
Two
closely
related
forms
of
nylon,
"
nylon
6"
and
"
nylon
6,6"
are
used
in
carpet
face
fiber.
Polypropylene
(
olefin)
and
polyester
(
PET)
also
are
used
in
carpet
face
fiber.
Recycled
PET
fiber
is
widely
available,
but
carpet
made
with
PET
face
fiber
is
generally
not
as
durable
as
nylon
or
polypropylene
carpet
and
is
usually
recommended
only
for
light­
to
moderate­
wear
conditions
(
which
includes
such
applications
as
offices
and
residential
areas).

Carpet
backing
is
used
to
provide
structural
support
to
the
face
fiber.
Over
90%
of
commercial
carpet
is
tufted
and
consists
of
three
possible
elements:
1)
the
primary
backing
fabric,
2)
the
applied
bonding
adhesive
and
3)
the
secondary
backing
fabric
or
a
special
purpose
cushion/
hard
back.
Polypropylene
is
the
most
common
material
in
primary
backing
fabrics,
although
polyester
is
used
in
some
specialty
applications.
Polypropylene
is
also
the
most
common
fabric
in
secondary
backings.
Styrene­
butadiene
latex
is
the
most
common
bonding
material
used
in
carpet
backing
systems.
Other
materials
used
in
secondary
backings
include
polyester,
polyurethane,
ethylene
vinyl
acetate
(
EVA),
polyvinyl
chloride
(
PVC),
amorphous
polymer
resins,
and
jute.

Jute
is
a
renewable
bio­
based
product
but
is
not
as
durable
as
the
synthetic
backings
and
is
seldom
available
today.
PVC
backing
with
up
to
100%
recycled
content
is
readily
available
and
is
used
by
some
manufacturers.
Use
of
recycled
PVC
is
expected
to
mitigate
the
impacts
associated
with
its
manufacture
and
disposal.
A
new
polyurethane
backing
under
development
uses
a
polyol
derived
from
soybean
oil
(
the
isocyanate
reactant
in
this
product
is
still
from
petrochemical
sources).
In
addition
to
the
renewable
resource
advantage,
initial
data
indicate
that
the
use
of
soy­
based
polyurethane
in
carpet
backing
saves
energy
over
the
product
life
cycle
compared
to
the
use
of
standard
petrochemical­
based
polyols.
Another
new
adhesive
makes
use
of
a
renewable,
bio­
based
material
derived
from
a
tall
oil
byproduct
of
the
kraft
pulping
process.
This
resin
is
available
from
a
source
that
is
certified
under
the
American
Forest
&
Paper
Association's
Sustainable
Forestry
Initiative
Standard
and
under
ISO
14001.
Use
of
the
tall
oil­
based
resin
by
one
manufacturer
has
reduced
the
company's
use
of
petrochemical
raw
materials
by
about
20
million
lb.
in
the
last
two
years.

Carpet
cushion
is
placed
underneath
the
carpet
to
provide
additional
comfort,
insulation,
and
noise
reduction.
In
some
cases
a
cushioned
secondary
backing
is
integral
to
the
carpet
backing.
Materials
used
in
carpet
cushion
include
polyurethane,
jute,
synthetic
rubber,
and
other
synthetic
fibers.
All
of
these
substances
can
be
obtained
from
recovered
materials.

Federal
EPP
Authority
and
Mandate
Spending
approximately
$
230
billion
annually
on
a
large
quantity
and
wide
variety
of
products
and
services,
the
federal
government
leaves
a
large
environmental
"
footprint."
However,
by
purchasing
environmentally
preferable
products
and
services,
the
federal
government
can
wield
its
spending
power
to
increase
the
national
demand
for
greener
products
as
well
as
to
help
meet
environmental
goals
through
markets
rather
than
mandates.
In
1995,
in
response
to
Executive
Order
12873,
EPA
established
the
Environmentally
Preferable
Purchasing
(
EPP)
program
to
encourage
and
assist
Executive
agencies
in
the
purchase
of
environmentally
preferable
products
and
services.
In
1997,
the
Federal
Acquisition
Regulation
(
FAR),
which
establishes
uniform
procedures
and
policies
for
federal
acquisition,
was
amended
to
support
federal
procurement
of
"
green"
products
and
services.
And,
most
recently,
in
1998,
Executive
Order
(
E.
O.)
13101,
entitled
"
Greening
the
Government
through
Waste
Prevention,
Recycling,
and
Federal
Acquisition,"
directed
Executive
agencies
to
"
consider
.
.
.
a
broad
range
of
factors
including:
elimination
of
virgin
material
requirements;
use
of
biobased
products;
use
of
recovered
materials;
reuse
of
product;
life
cycle
cost;
recyclability;
use
of
environmentally
preferable
products;
waste
prevention
(
including
toxicity
reduction
or
elimination);
and
ultimate
disposal"
when
making
purchasing
decisions
and
to
"
modify
their
procurement
programs
as
appropriate."

Similarly,
the
Biomass
R&
D
Act
of
2000,
the
Farm
Bill
of
2002,
and
Executive
Order
13134
have
emphasized
the
potential
importance
of
biobased
products
to
national
economic
and
environmental
interests.
Together
these
authorities
encourage
a
strong
federal
role
in
the
development
and
early
adoption
of
biobased
products
and
recognize
the
role
of
procurement
as
part
of
an
overall
federal
policy
on
biobased
products.

Five
Guiding
Principles
To
help
federal
government
purchasers
incorporate
environmental
considerations
into
purchasing
decisions,
EPA
developed
five
guiding
principles.
The
guiding
principles
provide
a
framework
purchasers
can
use
to
make
environmentally
preferable
purchases.
The
five
principles
are:
1.
Include
environmental
considerations
as
part
of
the
normal
purchasing
process.
2.
Emphasize
pollution
prevention
early
in
the
purchasing
process.
3.
Examine
multiple
environmental
attributes
throughout
a
product's
or
service's
life
cycle.
4.
Compare
relative
environmental
impacts
when
selecting
products
and
services.
5.
Collect
and
base
purchasing
decisions
on
accurate
and
meaningful
information
about
environmental
performance.

For
more
information,
go
to
the
five
guiding
principles
on
EPA's
EPP
Web
site
at
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
fivegp.
htm>.

What
Can
You
Do?
Environmentally
preferable
carpet
choices
each
have
their
own
merits,
and
choosing
one
depends
on
the
specific
need,
location,
and
use
for
the
carpet.
Some
questions
to
consider
in
determining
the
best
choice
for
your
situation
include:

What
are
the
durability
requirements?
In
general,
more
durable
products
reduce
environmental
impacts
because
of
the
less
frequent
need
for
replacement.
It
is
important
to
anticipate
the
expected
use
pattern
and
replacement
schedule
in
order
to
make
the
best
environmental
purchase.
For
example,
a
highly
durable
carpet
may
not
be
the
best
choice
for
a
temporary
space
with
light
use
or
where
near­
term
replacement
is
expected
because
of
a
change
in
tenants,
building
renovations,
or
other
factors.

What
are
the
proper
installation
and
maintenance
procedures?
Follow
the
manufacturer's
instructions
for
installation.
Industry­
recommended
standards
for
carpet
installation
(
CRI
104
for
commercial
carpet
and
CRI
105
for
residential
carpet)
are
available
from
the
Carpet
and
Rug
Institute
(
CRI)
at
www.
carpet­
rug.
com.
Choose
low­
emitting
adhesives
such
as
those
that
meet
CRI's
Green
Label
requirements
or
the
Green
Seal
standard.
Make
sure
that
you
select
a
carpet
suitable
for
the
routine
cleaning
and
maintenance
procedures
in
the
area
where
it
will
be
used.
Be
sure
to
follow
good
cleaning
practices
as
recommended
by
the
manufacturer
or
other
reliable
sources.
CRI's
Green
Label
vacuum
cleaner
testing
program
includes
a
list
of
vacuum
cleaners
meeting
the
Green
Label
standards
for
soil
removal,
dust
containment,
and
carpet
appearance
retention.
This
list
is
available
on
CRI's
Web
site.

Tiles
or
broadloom?
Tiles
(
modular
carpet)
use
more
material
initially
because
of
the
need
for
a
thicker
backing.
However,
depending
on
the
use
pattern,
tiles
can
save
materials
in
the
long
run
because
worn
or
soiled
tiles
can
be
replaced
individually
rather
than
replacing
the
entire
carpet.
Because
tiles
are
available
in
much
smaller
sizes
than
broadloom
carpet,
tiles
can
reduce
the
material
wasted
due
to
trimming
in
some
installations,
e.
g.
in
spaces
with
unusual
dimensions.

Are
reuse
options
available?
At
least
one
manufacturer
offers
refurbished
products
made
from
used
carpet
that
looks
and
performs
like
new
carpet.
This
reuse
option
creates
a
product
that
has
100%
post­
consumer
content.

What
is
the
recycled
content
of
the
carpet
face
fiber,
backing
and
cushion?
Although
processes
exist
for
manufacturing
both
nylon
6
and
nylon
6,6
from
recovered
materials,
the
supply
of
post­
consumer
recovered
nylon
suitable
for
use
in
carpet
face
fiber
has
been
relatively
limited.
Materials
used
in
carpet
backing
and
cushion
can
come
from
both
postindustrial
and
post­
consumer
sources.
Be
sure
to
obtain
specific
information
on
the
recycled
content
of
carpet
products,
including
a
break­
out
of
post­
industrial
and
post­
consumer
content.
Also
establish
the
recycled
content
percentages
of
each
carpet
component,
i.
e.
face
fiber
and
backings.
The
Carpet
and
Rug
Institute
recommends
that
recycled
content
be
stated
in
terms
of
the
whole
product.
In
addition,
some
manufacturers
list
the
recycled
content
of
particular
components
or
specific
materials
that
are
part
of
a
component.
Federal
purchasers
and
others
using
appropriated
Federal
funds
should
consult
the
Comprehensive
Procurement
Guidelines
(
CPG)
(
www.
epa.
gov/
cpg)
regarding
recovered
materials
requirements
for
carpet.

Is
there
a
mechanism
for
reusing
or
recycling
some
or
all
of
the
carpet
components?
The
Carpet
America
Recovery
Effort
can
provide
information
and
advice
on
recycling
and
other
end­
of­
life
options.
<
www.
carpetrecovery.
org>
Specify
your
recovery­
recycling
requirements
in
the
purchase
contract
­
this
ensures
that
end­
of­
life
issues
are
addressed
.
and
incorporates
lifetime
cost
into
the
purchase
price.
Waiting
to
address
end­
of­
life
issues
until
the
need
arises
can
result
in
more
limited
options
and
higher
costs.

What
are
the
chemical
emissions
and
other
impacts
from
the
manufacture
of
carpet?
The
carpet
industry
as
a
whole
has
made
substantial
progress
in
recent
years
in
reducing
chemical
emissions,
energy
usage,
and
water
usage
associated
with
manufacturing
processes.
Additionally,
some
carpet
manufacturers
are
pursuing
certification
under
ISO
14000­
series
environmental
management
standards.
Ask
manufacturers
to
provide
information
on
their
specific
efforts
and
accomplishments
in
this
area.

What
are
the
emissions
from
the
carpet
itself
or
from
other
materials
used
during
its
installation,
e.
g.
adhesives?
Do
any
of
these
emissions
present
indoor
air
quality
concerns?
Find
out
if
the
product
has
met
the
Carpet
and
Rug
Institute's
(
CRI)
Green
Label
requirements.
The
Green
Label
program
specifies
emission
limits
for
certain
chemicals
from
carpet,
cushion,
and
adhesive.
The
current
Green
Label
emission
limits
and
lists
of
manufacturers
who
have
met
the
standard
are
available
at
<
www.
carpet­
rug.
com>.
Ask
manufacturers
or
others
knowledgeable
about
emissions
testing
if
any
other
relevant
data
or
analysis
are
available.

Ask
manufacturers
for
certification
of
environmental
claims.
Certain
independent
organizations
provide
testing
and
auditing
services
related
to
environmental
standards
and
other
environmental
claims
such
as
recycled
content,
emissions
data,
etc.
In
the
absence
of
independent
certification,
ask
for
formal
statements
signed
by
senior
company
officials.
Guidance
on
the
use
and
interpretation
of
environmental
marketing
claims
is
available
from
the
Federal
Trade
Commission
at
<
www.
ftc.
gov.>

Standards
and
Specifications
A
number
of
states
and
EPA
Regions
have
incorporated
contract
language
that
takes
health
and
environmental
considerations
into
account
when
purchasing
carpet.
North
Carolina's
specification
addresses
a
broad
range
of
performance
and
environmental
attributes.
Massachusetts
state
agencies
specify
minimum
levels
of
recycled
content
for
carpet
purchases;
both
Massachusetts
and
Minnesota
allow
only
low­
VOC
adhesives;
and
Washington
specifies
the
maximum
emissions
allowed
in
the
first
30
days
following
installation.
EPA
Region
10
purchases
only
low­
VOC
and
formaldehyde­
free
adhesives
and
requires
that
any
carpet
unable
to
be
reused
must
be
recycled
with
the
Dupont
Carpet
Reclamation
Program
or
its
equivalent.
EPA's
Comprehensive
Procurement
Guidelines
(
CPG)
currently
address
only
carpet
cushion
and
polyester
carpet,
but
proposed
changes
to
the
CPG
also
include
nylon
carpet
and
backing
for
nylon
carpet,
as
well
as
some
proposed
revisions
to
the
existing
polyester
carpet
designation
(
66
FR
45256,
August
28,
2001).
EPA
issued
a
Notice
of
Data
Availability
summarizing
comments
received
on
the
CPG
proposal
for
nylon
carpet
and
soliciting
additional
comment
on
the
carpet
designation
(
68
FR
42040,
July
16,
2003).
Scientific
Certification
Systems
has
issued
a
pilot
specification,
based
on
life
cycle
considerations,
for
environmentally
preferable
carpet
<
www.
scs1.
com>.
Purchasers
can
find
the
above­
cited
contract
language
and
additional
information
on
voluntary
standards
and
guidelines
for
carpet
in
the
EPP
Database
at
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
database.
htm>.
North
Carolina's
recent
specification
is
at
<
www.
doa.
state.
nc.
us/
PandC/
splist.
htm>.

Other
Activities/
Future
Directions
On
January
8,
2002,
a
Memorandum
of
Understanding
for
Carpet
Stewardship
(
MOU)
was
signed
establishing
a
ten­
year
schedule
for
increased
rates
of
reuse
and
recycling
of
carpet.
Participants
in
the
negotiation
process
that
led
to
the
MOU
included
representatives
of
the
carpet
industry,
federal,
state,
and
local
governments,
and
non­
governmental
organizations.
The
carpet
industry
has
established
a
third­
party
organization,
the
Carpet
America
Recovery
Effort
(
CARE),
to
facilitate
implementation
of
the
MOU
goals.
The
MOU
partners
have
also
agreed
to
develop
model
procurement
guidelines
for
use
by
government
purchasers.
The
procurement
guidelines
will
address
other
performance
and
environmental
issues
in
addition
to
end­
of­
life
management.

Contacts
and
Resources
Carpet
America
Recovery
Effort
(
CARE)
<
www.
carpetrecovery.
org>
Promotes
the
reuse
and
recycling
of
carpet.
The
CARE
Web
site
includes
a
comprehensive
listing
of
carpet
recycling
programs
as
well
as
information
on
market
and
product
development
for
recycled
carpet
and
information
on
other
end­
of­
life
options.
CARE
also
provides
general
guidance
for
purchasers
on
performance
and
environmental
attributes.

Carpet
and
Rug
Institute
<
www.
carpet­
rug.
com>
Provides
a
wide
range
of
information
on
carpet
types,
performance
and
care,
materials
used
in
carpet,
and
health
and
environmental
issues.

Comprehensive
Procurement
Guidelines
(
CPG)
<
www.
epa.
gov/
cpg>
Designates
products
that
can
be
made
with
recovered
materials
and
recommends
minimum
recovered
material
content
levels.

Green
Seal
<
www.
greenseal.
org>
Green
Seal
is
an
independent,
nonprofit
organization
that
develops
environmental
standards
for
consumer
and
commercial
products
and
provides
consumer
education
on
environmentally
preferable
purchasing.

Institute
for
Market
Transformation
to
Sustainability
(
MTS)
<
www.
mts.
sustainableproducts.
com>
MTS
is
an
independent
organization
that
has
a
mission
to
foster
and
accelerate
the
global
free
market
transformation
to
sustainability.

Scientific
Certification
Systems
(
SCS)
<
www.
scs1.
com>
SCS
is
an
independent
organization
that
provides
a
wide
range
of
evaluation
and
certification
services,
including
a
number
of
health
and
environmental
standards
for
products.

EPA's
Purchasing
Tool
Suite
EPA's
EPP
Program
has
developed
the
following
Web­
based
tools
to
help
purchasers
consider
the
environment,
along
with
price
and
performance,
when
buying
a
product
or
service.
Database
of
Environmental
Information
for
Products
and
Services
 
A
searchable
database
of
product­
specific
information
(
e.
g.,
environmental
standards
and
guidelines
or
contract
language)
developed
by
government
programs,
both
domestic
and
foreign,
as
well
as
third
parties.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
database.
htm>

Promising
Practices
Guide
for
Greener
Contracts
 
A
series
of
short
case
studies
highlighting
successful
strategies
for
incorporating
environmental
factors
into
a
variety
of
product
and
service
contracts.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
ppg>

General
EPP
Training
Tool
 
Covers
basic
EPP
principles
and
mandates,
along
with
some
more
in­
depth
applications
of
EPP,
in
an
entertaining
and
multimedia
format.
<
www.
epa.
gov/
oppt/
epp/
gentt/>

References
Comprehensive
Guideline
for
Procurement
of
Products
Containing
Recovered
Materials;
Recovered
Materials
Advisory
Notice
III;
Final
Rule.
Federal
Register
Vol.
65,
No.
12,
pp.
3070
­
3094,
Jan.
19,
2000.

Comprehensive
Guideline
for
Procurement
of
Products
Containing
Recovered
Materials;
Proposed
Rule.
Federal
Register
Vol.
66,
No.
167,
pp.
45256
­
45274,
Aug.
28,
2001.

Background
Document
for
Proposed
CPG
IV
and
Draft
RMAN
IV.
EPA
530­
R­
01­
006,
April
2001.

Memorandum
of
Understanding
for
Carpet
Stewardship,
Jan.
8,
2002.
Available
at
www.
carpetrecovery.
org.

Selecting
Carpet
&
Rugs
­
Specifying
Commercial
Carpet.
Carpet
&
Rug
Institute,
2002.
Available
at
www.
carpetrug
com
Sustainability
Report
2000.
Carpet
&
Rug
Institute,
2001.
Available
at
www.
carpet­
rug.
com
Sources
of
Indoor
Air
Emissions.
US
EPA
Indoor
Environment
Management
Branch,
June
1999.

Davidson,
J.
L.,
Black,
M.
S.,
Pearson,
W.
J.,
and
Miller,
D.
P.
(
1991).
"
Carpet
Installation
During
Building
Renovation
and
Its
Impact
on
Indoor
VOC
Concentrations."
In:
Proceedings
of
Healthy
Buildings/
IAQ'
91.

Hodgson,
A.
T.,
Wooley,
J.
D.,
and
Daisey,
J.
M.
(
1993).
"
Emissions
of
Volatile
Organic
Compounds
from
New
Carpets
Measured
in
a
Large­
Scale
Environmental
Chamber."
J.
Air
and
Waste
Management
Assoc.,
43:
316
­
324.

Database
of
Sources
of
Environmental
Release
of
Dioxin­
like
Compounds
in
the
United
States.
EPA­
600­
C­
01­
012,
March
2001.

"
Replacement
of
a
Non­
Renewable
Resource
With
a
Renewable
One
at
Lees
Carpets."
Technical
summary
submitted
to
US
EPA
from
Lees
Carpets,
April
2002.

"
Soy­
Based
Thermoset
Plastics."
United
Soybean
Board,
February
2002.
