Carpet vs. LVT Flooring: A Deep Dive into Design and Environmental Considerations
Homeowners and interior designers have a wide range of flooring choices at their disposal. There are tile options like ceramic and porcelain and natural stone. There are hardwood and hardwood knock-offs, like the increasingly popular luxury vinyl tile (LVT). And there are several carpet options, differing in how they’re installed and the materials used.
Although some folks will make their choices solely on aesthetics, there are many factors to consider when making a purchase. Some options may be cost-effective in the short term but break down quickly.
And then there are the environmental considerations. Let’s dive in and weigh the design and environmental impact of two popular choices—carpet and LVT—and discuss ways to create a more sustainable carpeting lifecycle.
Design Considerations for Carpet and LVT
First, how do these two options stack up when it comes to making a design choice? The popularity of LVT has been on the rise, in large part, due to its affordability and ease of installation and maintenance. It provides the ability to mimic hardwood flooring without paying hardwood prices. It’s resilient but hardly impenetrable. LVT can see dents and scratches from heavy furniture and warping or molding over time from moisture. Because it’s not possible to refinish LVT, damaged tiles must be tossed in the trash and replaced.
As one of the most versatile options on the market, carpet comes in a variety of colors, patterns, and textures to suit just about any need. An affordable option, carpet can be installed in wall-to-wall or tiled form. You tend to see wall-to-wall installations in residential homes and in the hospitality industry, while most office buildings, airports and healthcare buildings opt for the easier install and sound absorption of tiled carpeting. Both versions come in a variety of materials—from polyester (PET) and triexta polyester (PTT) to wool and nylon.
Considering the Lifecycle of Flooring
Each of LVT and carpeting come with their own set of environmental considerations. LVT’s impact should be weighed both on the front end—during the manufacturing process—and on the back-end, after flooring is ripped up and disposed of. Some production of LVT requires a release of hazardous materials ranging from carbon dioxide to mercury and asbestos, among others, according to a report from the Center for Environmental Health (CEH). The range of toxic substances involved endanger workers and communities along the entire supply chain and means it can’t be safely burned or buried at the end of use. Long story short, LVT almost always ends up in landfills.
The vast majority of LVT is produced in Asia, meaning companies based in the West must consider the carbon footprint of transportation to and from the plants making the materials, as well as the ingredients and labor practices present at such plants. The CEH report revealed many EPDs undercount the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 180% for floors made with resin from China.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of carpets in the U.S. comes from a small but highly concentrated area of production. About 85% of it is made within 65 miles of Dalton, Georgia. Meanwhile, the U.S. accounts for about 45% of all carpet produced in the world, says the Economic History Association.
Over four billion pounds of carpet enter the solid waste stream each year in the U.S. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, carpet makes up more than one percent by weight and about two percent by volume of all municipal solid waste.
Not all carpeting is created equal. PET is generally “downcycled” into lower quality materials, ending up in fiber-agnostic products like carpet pads, insulation, and packaging. Meanwhile, nylon can be recycled back into carpet fiber or high-value plastics through both mechanical and chemical recycling, paving the way to a truly circular industry.
To date, recycling efforts have improved but remain insufficient. California has led the way in forcing responsible post-life handling of carpet. Since it established its EPR policy in 2011, CARE members have diverted over 5.2 billion pounds of post-consumer carpet from landfills in the U.S. California’s EPR policy has resulted in a 40% carpet recycling rate which is tremendously higher than the 3% average in the other 49 states
Aiming to increase impact, California recently passed an updated policy requiring all carpets sold in California to contain at least 5% of post-consumer recycled content from old carpet by 2028. The recycled content does not include beverage bottles, also known as rPET, instead, carpets will need to be made with post-consumer circular materials that can be regenerated back into carpet at the end of its useful life. This bill will take us a step closer to achieving closed-loop recycling for all carpets.
The bottom line is that whether manufacturers wait for regulation to force their hand or get proactive, they’ll likely need to react to a shifting market that puts environmental consideration at the forefront of the flooring industry.
Working Toward Truly Circular Carpeting
With innovative new materials for the flooring industry, ECONYL® nylon can help manufacturers prepare for the sustainable future of flooring. Through the Born R2R initiative, we are partnering with manufacturers to co-design new carpets and rugs that can be fully recycled at the end of its useful life.
These carpets of the future can lead the way to a circular flooring economy. Instead of creating flooring products that are blended and mixed, increasing complexity or making it impossible to recycle, Born R2R focuses on considering end of life solutions during the design phase. The end result is less waste, lower energy consumption, and decreased emissions.
Bringing Long-term Impact to the Top of the Priority List
With any flooring choice, there are direct and indirect costs. The direct costs are easy to measure. The indirect costs could combine to a disastrous future for the environment.
To avoid that future, as we move forward, it’s imperative that the flooring industry rethinks how they assess material cost. It’s not just about aesthetics and dollars and cents. It’s also about considering the full lifecycle of a product before we decide to deploy it within the spaces we live and work. Check out the ECONYL® Brand’s Detailed Guide on Today’s Flooring for additional resources on finding the right flooring solution.
Author: Eric Nelson, Executive Vice President Aquafil Carpet Collection
