It’s now a given that we need to have premium quality materials that meet our building project’s needs without depleting the world’s resources for future generations.

The widely held view that building materials need to be environmentally sustainable is still relatively new, yet some of the best solutions have been right under our noses - and in use for decades.

Wool-rich carpet is a perfect example.

Not only is wool a natural, rapidly renewable material (thank you, sheep), wool products are also reusable and recyclable.

As has been known since times immemorial, good wool is an incredibly durable fibre with a natural resistance to dirt. Importantly, wool also has the natural ability to absorb indoor air contaminants, resulting in cleaner breathing air.

These are incredibly valuable characteristics for today’s client or end-user, who is more demanding than ever when it comes to environmental considerations and who is also also savvier, hence prepared to ask the tougher questions when looking for sustainable flooring solutions.

So, when it comes to specifying carpet made with wool, it’s important to be prepared to answer the key questions about quality and sustainability.

How much wool is enough? How much is too little?

Knowing the great benefits of wool, it’s natural to assume that the closer to 100 per cent wool your carpet is, the better. In fact, blending a percentage of nylon into the carpet helps the wool stand up straight and gives it the required strength to meet Brintons’ stringent standards for wear and product longevity.

It was back in the 1950s that Brintons pioneered the perfect blend, combining the comfort of wool with the strength and durability of nylon. To get slightly more technical, this ‘Brintons Blend’ contains 80 per cent wool, 20 per cent nylon and has become the global standard for Axminster carpet around the world.

In fact, the sheer amount of this natural resource in demand means: “The wool from 1 in 9 British sheep ends up in a Brintons carpet,” according to Tim Booth, Marketing Manager, British Wool Marketing Board.

 

Quality, performance and sustainability

Put simply, the longevity of carpet is essential to the sustainability of the material. Better-constructed products with good maintenance last longer and offer an optimal sustainable flooring solution.

Brintons only manufacture offer high-quality, exceptional performance woven carpet that is beautiful, hardwearing and easy to install. These qualities ensure low wastage levels at installation and a significantly prolonged product life, which results in less frequent replacement and in turn positively impacts long-term waste.

While Brintons have been around for over two centuries, they continue to innovate. They currently offer carpet in revolutionary high definition colours, creative patterns and designs.

Brintons continues to design and develop their own looms and, to this day, each carpet is checked and finished by hand to ensure the highest quality is guaranteed.

For a brand that’s been around for so long, it shouldn’t be surprising that sustainability is a key issue.

The company actively works to improve its environmental performance across all its activities.

“Brintons’ carpets remain the biggest end-user of British wool,” as Booth explains. In addition, Brintons deliver low-emitting materials through the extraction of sustainable resources. Its commitment is evidenced throughout the manufacturing and distribution supply chain.

Brintons’ work is also verified by external accreditations - its manufacturing facilities, for example, are accredited to the ISO14001:2004 environmental management standard.

Product-wise, woven Axminster and Wilton carpets meet The Carpet & Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus standards, the independent testing program that identifies carpet with very low VOC emissions to help improve indoor air quality.

ECS accreditation also exists for selected carpet specifications across the range, but it doesn’t stop there. The company environmental policies and procedures are continually evaluated and integrated within environmental management systems across all operations worldwide.

Download Brintons Environmental Policy and learn more about Brintons Environmental Initiatives by clicking on our site.